Three Words, Eight Letters
by Lima Heights Adjacent
Summary: Rose hates Scorpius. Scorpius hates Rose. Or, at least, that's what the other thought. What will it finally take for them to realize that they were made for each other? Just three little words, eight simple letters. It'll just take a while to get there.
1. Of Crickets and Smirks

**AN: This just came to me. I know there are tonnnnnnssss out there like it. Now there's one more.  
Sorry for any typos. Its 55 degrees outside, which is cold for where I live. And I'm typing this outside while stealing wireless. **

**Disclaimer: Not Mine.**

Rose's POV

I hate my alarm clock.

The infernal contraption succededs in waking me from my slumber, but also succededs in annoying the heck outta me first thing in the morning.

I guess it's my fault The Thing (mine and Albus' fond nickname for it) was never shut off over summer break. Truth is, once school ends, I'm just too damn lazy.

"Shut. It. OFF!!!" my cousin Lily shouts from the bed across from me. At least, it was supposed to be a shout. She generally sleeps on her stomach so her face gets muffled by the pillow, making her exclaimation sound more like, "Shuffm it opmmm!". I pretend like I didn't understand her, because annoying Lily can be tremendous fun.

"Whah was thah, Lils?" I fake a sleepy sounding reply, like I was still half asleep when in reality I'm sitting up and looking at her. She groans, enticing a bout of silent laughter from me.

"Turn it OFFFFFFFF!" she lifts her head up slightly to scream at me before plopping back down.  
"Oh! Ok! Geez, no need to yell." I say to her, earning a rude hand gesture in return.

Switching off The Thing, I threw the covers off and quickly dressed. I took my time walking down the stairs, trying to prolong the inevitable. Yes, it was cowardly. I just didn't want to see him. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my nerves before the onslaught of agrivation that was sure to come.

"Hey Rosie." Albus said, barely looking up from the Quidditch magazine he was pouring over with his best friend. The source of my constant irritation.

Scorpius Malfoy.

"Weasley." He greeted me. We had a mutual unspoken agreement to attempt to act civil for Albus' sake, as well as the rest of my family's.  
"Malfoy." I responded in the same expressionless tone he had used.

Albus and Malfoy had been friends since first year, since they both got sorted into Ravenclaw together. I got sorted into Gryffindor. It was funny when Albus first brought Malfoy home, since everyone decided to hate him for his fathers faults.

It wasn't so funny anymore when they adopted him as one of the family.

Now he was a regular at the Potter/Weasley homes each summer.

Oh what fun!

Please note how that sentence drips with heavy sarcasm.

I don't even understand why my parents let him in our house. I mean, sure, Albus, James, and Lily stayed here sometimes over the summer and Malfoy and Albus were like two peas in a pod. I mean, why couldn't Malfoy just go home when they stayed here?

I accepted the food my mum set in front of me and began eating, minding my own buisness. Lily came down and sat next to me.

Yawning, she also accepted her breakfast. "Pass the butter." she mumbled sleepily. Lily Potter was not a morning person.

Malfoy, knowing this all to well, practically threw the butter dish at her. I still laugh uncontrolably whenever I remember when he ignored her one morning when she asked for the marmalade. She threw her fork at him and punched him repeatedly whilst screaming "I SAID PASS THE MARMALADE!" at the top of her lungs. It was funny because she was a skinny eleven year old and he was a Quidditch toned thirteen year old at the time.

The image of her sitting on him while screaming and punching is what I used as my happy memory to produce a Patronus the first time.

"Rose, a letter came." My dad said as he walked in from the living room. He held a piece of folded parchment out. I took it, wondering who could possibly be writing on the last day of summer break.

"_Rosie-Posie!" _The letter started. I rolled my eyes at the ridiculus nickname one of my my best friends, Masen Clark, had bestowed opon me in third year. I've told him repeatedly to knock it off. He doesn't ever listen. "_Rosie-Posie! Sorry to write on the last day of holidays. Sadie keeps owling me, complaining that you refuse to answer her phone calls or letters. She wants you to remember to bring her shirt. I told her that it would help if she had a reliable owl or knew how to use a phone, but of course, she never listens. _

_Bring the damn shirt._

_Masen."_

I chuckled slightly. I knew the shirt he was talking about and had already packed it away.

"Who's it from?" Dad asked through a mouthful of scrabled eggs.

"Masen. Sadie asked him to ask me something." I responded.

"Why doesn't she just write herself?" Mum asked, joining in. I rolled my eyes.

"Apparently, she did. And called. You've seen Old Royce. Stupid owls about as useful as a broken wand." I replied. Sadie Anveray was another of my best friends, along with Daphne Draven.

Sadie was outgoing, bubbly and vivacious. Daphne was almost her polar opposite. She was quiet, sarcastic, and headstrong. Masen was like me, at times a loud mouth, others introverted. The four of us had been friends since first year. I became fast friends with Masen on the train. Sadie became my friend since she was one of my roommates. We had become attached at the hip. She and Masen got along great, which was a plus.

Daphne took a while. She was the quiet, seemingly shy girl in Gryffindor who didn't interact with anyone. That was, until the day she punched Victrola Slater in the face. Victrola Slater was a bitchy, self absorbed Slytherin who hung around with Malfoy and Albus' group. I'd hated her almost more than Malfoy since the first train ride. She and her awful best friend, Missy Goyle, a pug-faced, slut of a girl, had sized me then did that shoulder-shove thing that asshats do to try and rile people up. Anyway, one day, Masen, Sadie, and I are walking in the halls when we round the corner and see Victrola and Missy (what the _hell _kind of name is Missy, anyway?!) picking on Daphne. They were calling her names and saying she was ugly (which is stupid in itself since Daph is one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen, even if she doesn't think so) and then they called her The Name. Daphne is Muggle-Born. She comes from an exceedingly wealthy, although unattentive Muggle family. So Victrola goes and calls her a Mudblood. And Daphne punches her. In the nose. And breaks it. Victrola had two black eyes for a week. It was amazing. Since then Daphne has been one of our group, even though she and Masen bicker alot.

"Is everyone packed up? We've got to get to the station before eleven." my mother says, making me jump, seeing as I had been off in my own world.

There were mumbled responses all around.

"Good, its 9:30 now, and I want to get there by at least ten. Everyone get upstairs and get your stuff." mum prattled on, doing some house-holdy things with her wand.

* * *

I love Kings Cross station.

I've loved it since my first train ride. It was a symbol of friends, knowledge (blame my mother for my nerdy tendencies), and just overall happy feelings. For me, anyway.

"Oh Rosie! I'll miss you so much!" Mum was sobbing, smiling at me with watery eyes. Dad wrapped an arm around her waist, throwing me an apologetic look. Uncle George and Auntie Angelina were here, too, since it was my cousin Freddy's last year.

Uncle George winked at me from behind Mum's back and said, "Don't do anything your parent's and Harry wouldn't have."

"George!" Aunt Angelina smacked him playfully on the chest. He just laughed and kissed her cheek. Fred rolled his eyes at his parents. "Get a room."

Shaking her head a her brother, Aunt Ginny turned to me and said "Be good," before hugging me. She turned and moved onto Hugo.

Uncle Harry was next. He hugged me and said, "Have a good sixth year."

Next in the Annual Weasley/Potter Hug Fest was Teddy. He and James had both taken the day off work (Teddy was an Auror, James was his protegee) to see the Mob (as Masen and Sadie called it) off. He was my favorite cousin. I always missed him most while at school. "Have fun, Cricket." he said as we hugged.

Teddy and Victoire were the only ones allowed to use that nickname. They had been calling me that since I was five. I was obsessed with the noises crickets made and always went around mimicking it instead of talking normally. From there stemmed the nickname. I must admit its loads better than what they call Albus.

Finally, the Hug Fest was over and I could finally get on the train. I was forced to stick with Albus and Malfoy, who kept throwing me nasty smirks every once in a while. I of course, returned the smirks with sneers of my own, but I couldn't help but wonder why he was looking at me like he had something on me. It diconcerted me.

They found a compartment with their friend Landon Riley, whom I got on with well enough. Since I had been walking behind them I was forced to pass by Malfoy on my way down the corridor. As I passed, Malfoy, who had been shutting the compartment door hissed, "See you around...Cricket."

My face flushed with embarassment. I spun around, preparing to scream, or something. No sound came out except a shocked little squeak. Malfoy smiled evilly, his silver eyes twinkling madly, and shut the compartment door with a snap. I made my legs move. No one aside from Teddy and Victoire were allowed to call me that. I hated that name. I was embarassed by it when they said it at family functions.

I barely knew where I was going. All I knew was that I had to get as far away from Scorpius-freaking-Malfoy as I possibly could.

I was saved when I heard voices calling my name. Turning around, I saw Sadie and Masen sticking their heads out of the compartment I had just passed.

Mutely, I entered the compartment and plopped my self into a seat, leaving my stuff for Masen to kindly stow away for me.

"Thanks, Masen." I mumbled.

"Welcome." He said. He looked worried. I saw him share a look with Sadie out of the corner of my eye.

"Um, Rose... Are you okay?" Sadie asked uncertainly.

"Malfoy knows about the nickname." I whispered, staring at the wall of the compartment infront of me.

"Which one?" Masen asked, "Rosie-Posie?"

I shook my head.

"Rose the Rocket?" Sadie asked, meaning my Quidditch nickname from Freddy. Again I shook my head.

"Oh, no..Not...Cricket...." Masen whispered the offensive name, looking shocked. I nodded. Sadie gasped. They knew how much the damn name embarassed me.

Masen's brown eyes were wide with shock. Sadie's glossed mouth was wide, and her already big blue eyes were round like galleons.

Daphne chose that time to enter the compartment in a huff. "Do you know what that bitch of a sister said--- whoa, whats up?" Daphne dropped her purse and set the cage containing her owl, Azula, gently on the floor before taking the remaining seat next to Masen and across from me.

Sadie cleared her throat and spoke first. "Malfoy knows about Cricket." Daphne's cobalt eyes widened and she gasped. "No!"

I nodded mutely.

"What happened?" Daphne asked looking between Masen and Sadie. I took a deep breath. "I guess he overheard at Kings Cross. Teddy said it when we hugged goodbye. Then when we got on the train he kept throwing me looks. Then when he went in his and Al's compartment, he said, 'See you around, Cricket' and smiled at me."

Sadie seemed to snap out of her stupor. "Was it a flirty smile, or a maniac smile?" she asked. We all simultaniously turned to look at her in bewilderment.

"What?" she asked. "These things matter! You know I firmly believe he likes you!" That was true. Sadie had been saying since third year that Malfoy was secretly lusting for me. Please.

"Sadie, you are so...." Daphne didn't finish. She just shook her head.

I don't know what came over me. I stood up and strode to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sadie called, but I had already left the compartment. I headed up the aisle, fully intending on getting Al and begging him to make his friend keep the name to himself. My plan backfired when I passed the bathrooms and was slammed into as someone rounded the corner.

The person and I fell to the ground in a heap. I didn't see who it was, but I knew it was a guy. They were tall, very, very, muscled, and wearing an amazing smelling cologne. The way we fell, the guy was on top of me, our heads mere inches apart. The hood of my jacket was covering my eyes. I extracted my arm from the very compromising place it had been before. I sincerely hoped that whoever it was that fell on me wasn't related to me in any way, because I had just felt them up when I moved my hand. I finally managed to get my hand free. They had some major abs, from what I felt. I had also felt another piece of their.... anatomy, causing me to blush profusely. Who ever it was, I really, really hoped we weren't related.

I pulled the hood from over my eyes. I almost wished I kept it on, because the guy who was currently laying on top of me, the guy who smelled pretty damn good, the guy who had amazing abs, and the guy who I just felt up was none other than Scorpius Malfoy.

"Oh, shit." we said similtaniously, staring at each other with wide, shocked eyes.

* * *

**AN: So here it is.. My first chapter for this story. I must say, I'm rather proud of it. **

**Please review. I'd love feedback. **


	2. Of Molestation and Feelings

**AN: This story will contain lots of language, because, according to the great theorist Spongebob Squarepants, curse words are sentence enhansers. If you have a problem with such sentence enhansers, I suggest you look elsewhere for a brilliant Rose/Scorpius story. **

**See, my pervasive use of swears in the FanFic world is funny, since I actually don't curse all that much in the real world. **

**Just ask my best friend, ItsNoxious. **

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter will never be mine. -sigh-**

**Oh, AN #2, this will go between Rose's and Scorp's POV's. Because sometimes you just need to see both sides of the story.**

Scorpius POV

Fucking. Hell.

I just got felt up by my best friends cousin. The girl whom I hate with a firey burning passion.

Or so she thinks.

Damn it.

"Weasley! What the fuck?!" I said loudly, rolling off of her, trying my hardest not to think about how we were just pressed up against each other. And how much I liked it.

"Please, Malfoy. Spare me. That was your fault and you know it." She sneered, picking herself up off the floor. She tried to hide her blush behind a curtain of her long dark red hair. I smiled. I loved making her angry, and she had just set herself up for a full out arguement.

"Explain to me, exactly how was it my fault? Maybe you should watch where you're going" I said to her, using my nastiest tone I reserved for only her. She noticed my tone and turned her hate-filled blue eyes up at me, puting her hands on her hips and looking me dead in the eye.

"Excuse me?" she said slowly, in that deadly voice that lets me know I've really pissed her off.

"What?" I said, feigning innocence.

"Your an ass, Malfoy." Weasley sneered. I smirked, loving how it made her angrier. I loved making her angry. Albus always says I shouldn't, that one day she'll be likely to punch me. I just laugh at him. Weasley's so skinny; if she threw a rock at me, it'd probably hurt more than a punch from her.

I took a step toward her. "Or maybe," I was about a foot away from her now. She had to look up to maintain our stare-down. "You liked feeling me up."

Her eyes narrowed into slits, and the corner of her mouth turned up into a sarcastic little smirk. "I couldn't feel anything." she said before turning her back toward me and sauntering off to her compartment. I was still standing there speechless when Albus opened the compartment door and jarred me back to my senses.

"Hey man, you plan on coming back in anytime soon?" Al said, an annoying smirk on his face. I nodded and walked back into our compartment.

"Hey Scorpie!" Missy Goyle trilled in what she seemed to think was a sultry tone. It took everything in me not to wince. Al and I couldn't stand Missy, or really any of her friends except Victrola Slater and Cassie Edesia. Cassie was a Ravenclaw in our year and was really nice. She was quiet, smart and didn't get grossed out when the guys did guy-like things around her. That was probably because she has three brothers. Victrola was another story completely. She had a dirty sense of humor to rival Albus' and a mouth like a sailor. Not to mention she was freaking hilarious to be around. Basically, Victrola was one of my closest friends. I wasn't nearly as close to her as I was Albus, but I still considered her one of my best friends.

"So what took you so long in the bathroom, Scorp?" Victrola asked from her seat next to Al. They were holding hands and Al had a sinister smile on his face. I raised an eyebrow at their intertwined hands.

"Something you wanna tell me, Al?" I joked. I knew perfectly well Albus would never date Victrola, knowing her....well, uhmm, exploits, and neither would I, but it really raises questions when you walk into a room and see your friends holding hands.

"Victrola bet me ten galleons that I would let go first." Albus said simply.

"Let me guess, your squeezing her hand?" I asked. Al just smiled mischeviously and continued holding hands until Victrola ripped their hands apart with a gasp.

"Fucking cheater!" Victrola shouted, reaching into her purse for Al's winnings. He laughed exubrantly and stuffed the galleons in his pocket.

"I played fair and you know it! Don't be a sore loser." He replied, sitting back into his seat. Victrola stuck her tounge out at him and said "Bite me, Potter."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Slater" he replied smoothly. Victrola just rolled her eyes and looked at me.

"So what happened with Weasley out there?" she asked, grinning slyly. Al raised his brows at me, throwing me a curious glare

"Well, I came out of the bathroom, she slammed into me, we fell, she felt me up, I came back here." I said as if it was completely common to encounter someone you supposedly hated as such. Victrola and Albus both shot forward in shock, and thankfully were the only ones that heard my proclaimation. Cassie was absorbed in a book, as always, and Landon was talking animatedly with Missy.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you and my cousin did what?!" Al whispered. Victrola just looked shocked and amused at once, which was weird. I stood up and beckoned them into the hall and then into an empty compartment. I heaved a huge breath once inside and spun around to face them.

"I said... I came out of the loo...slammed into Weasley...we fell...I landed on top (at this, Victrola giggled. The girl can find a sex joke in anything.)...she felt me up..we stood up.....said some stuff....I came back into the compartment...." I said lamely, staring at my shoe.

"My cousin. My cousin Rose. Rose Weasley, the girl who hates your very esscence...molested you?" Albus asked. I shrugged. "I guess you could call it that." I mumbled.

Then Albus burst into laughter.

My head whipped up. My best friend was laughing hysterically. I mean, he was red in the face, doubled over, tears pouring down his face kind of laughing. I looked to Victrola for help. She just arched a brow and shook her head.

"Wha-wha-t did you..do?" Albus managed to choke out between laughs. I don't know why he was laughing, but it was pissing me off.

"I said "What the fuck, Weasley" when we stood up." I said, not understanding his question.

"No, we heard that part while you were supposedly 'in the bathroom'. I meant did you ask her about her touching you inappropriately." Albus was turning this into a huge joke. I crossed my arms in annoyance.

"For all you know, your cousin could have defiled me or taken my innocence, and your laughing. Wow, thanks for caring." I said. To be honest, I was glad Al wasn't pummeling me into the ground for practically crushing his cousin; even though he knew I generally couldn't stand her (or so he thought), I respected our friendship enough not to mess with her too much... when he was around.

"Okay, enough with the bullshit. Rose didn't 'defile' you, seeing as your like, a foot taller than her and about 50 pounds heavier. And please. 'Innocence' my ass. You lost your 'innocence' after Quidditch Finals last year." Al said snarkily. I flinched at the reminder of the Quidditch Finals....

Victrola snorted. "What are you avoiding telling us, Scorp?" she asked, her hands on her hips. Al was staring at me with raised eyebrows. I ran my hand through my hair, sighing as I did so.

"Well... I think... I might not... hate... Weasley as much as you think...."

* * *

Rose's POV

OH. MY. GOD!!!!!!!!

Where the hell did that come from?!

"I didn't feel anything." I said that! I actually effing said that! To Malfoy! After I felt him up!!

Oh, God, I could feel my face burning. I knew I was redder than a ripe tomato. I wondered how any blood managed to pump through my heart, which was beating erratically, when it felt like it was all in my face.

I had thought those things about him. As if it wasn't bad enough that I had practically sexually assaulted him, I had actually been attracted to him!

_Well, he is pretty damn hot._ an annoying little voice in my head said. I wanted to scream.

I could, in no way, think Scorpius Malfoy was in any way even remotely attractive.

Could I?

No. No no no. NO!

Yes. Yes, Rose, you could.

I groaned, sliding down the wall, burying my face in my hands.

I wouldn't tell a soul. Thats how I'd solve this. I just wouln't tell anyone.

I sat there, just wallowing in my embarassed self pitty, waiting for my blood to vacate my face. I think I was there for a while. I'm pretty sure the food trolley passed. I honestly didn't care. I just wanted to pretend like nothing unusual happened so I could walk back into the compartment and hang out with my friends.

Taking a deep cleansing breath I stood up again and re-entered the compartment.

"So what happened Rose?" Daphne asked, as soon as I sat down, reaching into Masen's box of Bertie Botts and taking a handful. He looked up at her, annoyed.

"Get your own damn box." he grumbled. Daph ignored him.

"Uh, well... I was gonna ask Albus to make Malfoy not tell anyone about the name. And I ran into Malfoy." I said, absentmindedly reaching for some of Masen's candy. He didn't mind me stealing his food as much as Daphne.

"So, what did he say?" Sadie asked, looking up from her magazine.

"Well, that topic didn't exactly come up." I mumbled, staring at my fingers.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Sadie squealed, suddenly super excited. "You snogged! You did didn't you?! Was it fun? Did you like it? Is he any good?" she was practically vibrating with excitement. I just stared at her, bewildered.

"We didn't kiss, Sadie!" I shouted. Daphne was looking at Sadie as if she were crazy. Masen was just looking uncomfortable. He didn't like these girly topics.

"Oh. Damn." Sadie just sighed like I'd disappointed her and went back to her magazine.

"Issues. The girl has issues." Daphne shook her head in Sadie's direction and stole more jelly beans from Masen before turning her gaze to me.

"So, what did happen?" she asked. I sighed, looking up at her and Masen through my bangs.

"Well... I was walking to Albus' compartment when Malfoy came out of the restrooms. He slammed into me.. We fell. On the ground. And....." I paused, swallowing the embarassed lump in my throat. I continued in a whisper, like the three owls and cat in our compartment might overhear and tell. "He landed on top of me. My arm was pinned between us. I accidentally felt him. We argued briefly. End of story." I quickly unwrapped a Chocolate Frog and stuffed it into my mouth.

"When you say felt....." Masen asked in what seemed against his better judgement, but his curiousity got the best of him. I just looked at him, savoring the Frog. It melted, so I was forced to answer.

"I mean... Him.. you know... _Him_." I said, embarassed.

"What?" Sadie asked, confused. Daphne looked uncertain as well. Masen got it though.

"Oh. _Oh_!"He said, "Shit, sorry Rosie." he looked like he was trying not to laugh in my face. I groaned and let my head fall back against the seat.

"What?! I don't get it!" Sadie was such a blonde.

"Our Rosie here molested Malfoy." Masen said bluntly, biting the head off a Chocolate Frog. Daphne, over her shock, slapped the back of his head, causing his shaggy dark brown hair to fall forward in his face.

"Oi! Daph! What the hell was that for?!" he shouted, outraged. Her slap had surprised him, causing him to drop his Frog.

"You are so tactless, Masen." Daphne said, rolling her eyes. It always struck me as odd, how much their little fights always reminded me of my parents.

"Hey, we're almost to school." Sadie said, looking out the window at the dark landscape. I groaned. I couldn't believe that whole thing with Malfoy had taken up the enitire train ride. I was starving.

"Ugh, homework and drama. Yay." Sadie said.

"Yeah, I love Hogwarts, but I'm not eager for my Prefect responsibuilities to start." I said, standing up to retrieve my robes from my trunk.

I was also not eager to admit my new found "feelings" for Malfoy to myself, but I wasn't going to mention that out loud.

I think I'd rather listen to a drunken Hagrid sing folk songs at two in the morning.

As I slid on my robes, I tried desperately to squelch these......feelings.. for Malfoy. Maybe I was just over-reacting. I mean, I'd always thought he was attractive. It was, like, common knowledge. He had those amazing silver-gray eyes.... Platinum blonde hair that wasn't too short or too long... He played Quidditch for Ravenclaw.. As a matter of fact, he was a Seeker, like me.. That had always fueled our arguements.

But, I could look at guys objectively, right?! Guys could be cute and I could think so with out feeling anything...

Take Masen, for instance. He had shaggy chocolatey brown hair. That was cute, right? And he had...nice hazel eyes... But did I get those weird heart palpatations I got whenever I looked at Malfoy?

No. I didn't.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Masen asked, looking at me with a bewildered expression.

"Oh, uh, no reason. You had an....eyelash.. On your cheek... It fell off though." I hastily made up on the spot. My horrid lie seemed to placate Masen enough that he didn't question in. Daph noticed though and shot me a questioning look. I mouthed 'later' and she nodded.

I needed to flesh out some story, because no way in hell was I telling her the truth.

* * *

**AN: Another chapter done. Ah....**

**So, some basic background info to fix any potential confusion:**

**Scorp/Al/Rose: 6th years  
****Freddy: 7th year  
****James: graduated  
Lily/Hugo: 5th years.  
**

**All the other Weasley kids will come in as I need them...When I need them...**

**Review? Please? It'll make me smile**

**:)**


	3. Of Eavesdropping and Duels

**Thank you to the 200+ people who have read this story and those who reviewed.**

**Now if only about 5 of you would review. **

**How about no updates until then?........nah.. I'll still update. I just wont do it as fast. **

**Disclaimer: I disclaim. **

**-------**

Rose's POV:

I love the Great Hall.

It just always looks so.....magical. That's a horrible description for a magic schools cafeteria, but you get the point. I was seated with Daphne, Sadie, and Masen at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the Feast to begin. Behind me, at the Ravenclaw Table (I shuddered. I did not want to face Scorpius-bloody-Malfoy) I could hear the usual chatter associated with a school full of adolecents, but one voice really stuck out; my cousin Albus'.

"What. The. Hell. Scorp, I can't believe you." Al was whispering loudly. I strained my ears to pick up Malfoy's response.

"Keep your voice down! We don't need the school finding out!" Malfoy was saying. I heard a slight tone of...was that fear? What could possibly have Al so angry and Malfoy so worried?

"Eavesdropping, are we?" I jumped and looked to my right. Porter Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor in my year was smiling at me.

"Uh, no?" My wide vocabulary amazes the masses.

"Really? Because that's what it looks like your doing." Porter raised an eyebrow and flashed me a crooked smile. I felt myself blushing. Damn redhead genes.

"Please explain what exactly it looked like. You know, so I know what not to do next time." I smiled back, raising my hand to brush my bangs to the side. Porter leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"Well, you had a dazed look on your face. Not to mention you were leaning toward the Ravenclaw table. Is it safe to assume someone in that vicinity was the intended target?" he asked, a knowing look on his face.

"Well.." I started but was cut off by Professor McGonagall who gave the opening speech. My mother would be scandalized if she found out that I, her Prefect daughter, had zoned out practically through the entire speech. But I had a good reason!

Malfoy was sitting behind me, still arguing with Albus. They were whispering, but it was relatively loud at some points. To avoid being found out, I faced down at the table and let my hair make a curtain around me.

"...Can't believe you!.....best friend.....cousin!" was all I could hear from Albus. From Malfoy, I heard, "...Not my fault!...bloody......hypocrite!"

Its safe to say that really want to know what they're talking about.

------------

"Why was Scorpius Malfoy staring at you during dinner?" Sadie asked while we were getting ready for bed. I looked at her shrewdly and said, "Why the bloody hell would I know?"

Sadie looked at me skeptically before turning her attention to Daphne. "Didn't you think it was odd that as soon as Rose started flirt with Porter Thomas, Malfoy looked as if he wanted her to spontaniously combust?"

I was outraged. "I was not flirting with Porter!" I said to her, affronted.

Daphne snorted. "You might not have been, but he sure was." she said to me before looking at Sadie. "And do you even know what spontanious combustion is?"

Sadie threw her pillow at Daphne. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do, Miss High-and-Mighty."

I laughed along with them, thankful that the subject had changed for the time being.

* * *

Scorpius' POV

Al and I walked to the Ravenclaw commons in stony silence. We had fought all through the rest of the train ride...and the walk to dinner...and the pre-dinner speech....and dinner....

Suffice to say, this is a very rocky moment in our six-year-long friendship.

"Al. Are you still pissed at me? I asked. Al, who was about a foot a head of me, whirled around to face me.

"Of COURSE I am!" he shouted, causing a few first years to jump and practically piss themselves. Al, noticing this, grabbed me by the sleeve and pulled me down a deserted hall.

"Scorp, your my best friend...practically a brother, really. But true blood is thicker than water sometimes. I can't let Rose be another of your... one time use only girlfriends... I just can't. Because if you were to hurt her in anyway..." he didn't finish the sentence, but I got the point. He would probably choose his family over our friendship. And I understood. I truly did and I wouldn't expect anything less of Albus. But I knew, against all odds, he'd probably try and be my friend. We just would never be as close again.

"Al, I'll probably never even date Weasley. There's really no point in being pissed at me." I reminded him. I'd told him this earlier.

Al snorted. "This is true. Rosie hates you. Like, she really loathes you." he was smiling at me, like these constant reminders of my misfourtune should make me feel better.

"You know, I think she likes Professor Trelawney better. And you know she detests Divination." He was almost laughing now.

"I get it. Thanks." I snarled; he just chuckled and clapped me on the back. "Well, good luck mate." he said before heading back down the hall and towards our common room.

----------

At breakfast the next morning, we got our schedules. I groaned with my bad luck. Our first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors. Our first class after lunch? Divination, with......the Gryffindors.

My head dropped to the table with a bang.

"Schedules quite interesting, isn't it Scorp?" Al said between bites of toast.

I flipped him off. He laughed at that, too.

"C'mon. Defense is first." he said, getting up. I followed suit. Professor Xavier was a very good teacher. She'd been the DADA teacher since before I'd gotten there. She was energetic, fun, and I'd learned alot with her. DADA was one of my best classes, along with Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration. I was good in Arithmancy, Herbology, and History of Magic, shoddy at best in Care of Magical Creatures, and completely sucked in Astronomy.

Professor Xavier reminded me of one of those 1940's American movie starlets. She had black, loosely curled hair and eyes that looked almost purple in the light. She had an air of regality to her, and when she walked into a room, she demaned respect. Not out of fear. Not at all. Quite the opposite, actually. She was so easygoing and cool, that you just can't help but listen to her and follow directions. It helped that she was the Ravenclaw Head of House after Flitwick retired.

I walked in and stopped in confusion. The desks were all pushed back against the walls, and in the middle of the room were thick blue sponge mats that made a huge circle.

"Gather round class!" Xavier called. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike looked excited at the prospect of something practical for our first lesson of the year.

"Today, we will be starting our lesson on dueling." A wave of excited chatter went through the class. Professor Xavier started walking clockwise around our gathered circle, and the people she had been blocking (oddly enough, seeing as Xavier was built like a fashion model) came into view. And sadly, one of those people was Weasley. I caught sight of her laughing at something that that Porter Thomas bloke was saying, and that damn monster in my chest began roaring its disapproval, like it had at dinner last night. I mentally chastised myself yet again for being....I'll admit it... jealous of Thomas. I wished I had never been rude to her, because if I hadn't, we might have already been together. Now, not only was I the hated friend of her cousin, I had virtually no chance of ever being with Weasley in the forseeable future.

"Class, you all are going to be assigned an opponent and will come out here and use only the spells that you have been taught in the past five years. This will be our precurser to nonverbal spells, kind of like a review." Xavier was saying. I hastily shifted my undivided attention back to her. She was smiling excitedly, too, like she just couldn't wait to see us hurl incapacitating spells at each other. This was why she was my favorite teacher.

"Ok, rules are: 1. No Unforgiveables, obviously. 2. no physical fighting. and 3. if you are down for ten seconds, you're out!" the class murmered in agreement to Xavier's rules and she smiled once more before continuing. "Ok, this will be a competion. The winner of each round will compete until we have a single winner for this class. I'm anticipating this competion to go through the week, so bring your all. Got it?" The class eagerly called out their agreement.

"Up first we have...." Xavier looked around at the gathered class. "How about Miss Beauregard verses Mr. Potter?" I heard Al snicker from next to me and I couldn't help but smile as well. Charlotte Beauregard was a gossipy girl from Gryffindor. To say I was excited for this match would be an understatement. Charlotte and Al had dated in the beginning of fifth year. She was the epitome of an annoying, whiny, clingy, jealous girlfriend. Even Weasley got tired of her. I think it was the only thing we've agreed on.

Out of curiousity, I looked up at Weasley to gauge her reaction. I was pleased to see she was smiling manaically. I felt myself grin too.

"On the count of three. One...two...three!" Xavier shouted.

Al was much faster than Beauregard. "_Rictusempra_!" he bellowed. Beauregard was hit directly in the stomach and doubled over in laughter. Al smirked as she desperatly tried to catch her breath. "Ex-ex-expelliarmus!" she managed but Al lazily called out a Sheild Charm and her spell bounced off harmlessly.

"Finite Incatatem" Xavier pointed her wand at Beauregard, who quickly stood up, blushing madly. Her long blonde hair was in her face and her eyes were hardened in anger.

"Stupefy!" she screamed and Al had just enough time to duck in order to avoid the spell. "Stupefy!" Al called. Charlotte wasn't fast enough and was hit in the face. She promptly fell over unconcious.

"Renvenerate." Xavier seemed to be smiling in spite of herself. "Winner, Albus!" Charlotte looked pissed. She stomped off to her friends. Al walked back to me and smiled lazily. "Almost too easy." he said, before smirking and adding in a whisper, "Just like Charlotte." I snorted and started laughing loudly and hastily tried to cover it, but Xavier saw and smirked.

"Mr. Malfoy, it seems to me that you'd like to volunteer. How about you go against Mr. Thomas?" Xavier smirked mockingly. I turned to Al, who clapped me on the shoulder while smiling encouragingly. "Knock him out, Scorp!" he said loudly.

I rolled my eyes, but secretly I appreciated it.

"One...two...three!" Xavier called. Thomas' easy demeanor shifted instantly into a fierce determination. I was thrown off guard slightly as he shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Utilizing my Seeking skills, I ducked and rolled out of the way as I called out, "Tallentalegra!" the spell hit him just as he tried to leap out of the way. His legs started jerking in a spastic, yet comical tap dance of sorts. Although it hindered his stabuility, it didn't deter his vocal abuilities.

"Silencio!" Thomas bellowed out of nowhere. It wasn't a very physically detering spell, but it was smart move if your opponent had never casted a spell nonverbally.

I knew the basic theory behind nonverbals. While Thomas had taken the spell of himself, he was laughing at my current situation. I narrowed my eyes in anger. I was a Ravenclaw. I knew what to do to cast a nonverbal spell. I'd never done it, but it was worth a try. Using my anger to fuel the force behind my spell, I thought with everything in me, _Stupefy!_

To my, not to mention the classes, amazement, a jet of red light flew from my wand and hit Thomas squarely in the chest. His taunts were cut off mid sentence and he fell to the padded floor, unconcious.

It was completely silent for a split second before the entire Ravenclaw group burst into raucious cheers. "Finite." Xavier pointed her wand at me and I laughed exuberantly with my house at the incredulus looks on everyones faces.

"Ok, class, so far our winners are Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy. Tomorrow we will be continuing our competion!" Xavier shouted over the bell. She walked up to me and smiled proudly.

"Excellent, Mr. Malfoy. Five points to Ravenclaw." Xavier said quietly. I felt a hand grab my shoulder roughly and before I knew it, I was being buffered out of the DADA room amongst my classmates. As I turned to look at Al, who was standing next to me, I caught sight of Weasley standing with her friends. She met my eyes.

I don't know what came over me. I threw her a playful crooked smile and a wink.

Weasley looked shocked for a fraction of a second before she smirked back.

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**AN: Here it is. Chapter three.**

**I hope you enjoyed it. Even though I enjoy writing it, I'd appreciate some more reviews. I honestly think I'm taking things too fast, but I'd like my 200 visitors opinions on the matter.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading.**

**Review? **

**:)**


	4. Of New Partners and Tea

**AN: I am SO SORRY! Please don't hate me! **

**Ok, sorry I haven't updated in a while. School started again, so I have much less time on my hands. **

****

**You came through for me!!! I got more reviews! And I love you all!**

To answer some reviews:

**101-silentwhispers: I wouldn't make these guesses so early on. And what clues led you to this assumption?**

**color0me0seniorita0twilight: Why yes, Porter, is Dean's son. I bet you can't guess his mom though, lol**

**Marciabarcia: Thanks :) You know, you're the only reviewer to answer that?**

**silmarien189: Thanks for sticking with me for another story! I love your reviews!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

Scorpius' POV:

Wow, I messed up.

Now, Weasley is ignoring me. I passed her in the hall, and she glared at me. Instead of a step forward towards becoming, I dunno, friends, I guess, I have taken a huge step back.

Well, this sucks.

Al thinks its hilarious, though. He likes to bring it up at inopportune moments and laugh. I think I hate him sometimes.

I dread Divination. Trelawney likes to assign us seats based on her "gazes into the realm of in between" to "discern whom will form a bond with whom spirtually" or some mystical shit like that. Basically, she partners us up for the entire year.

My first partner was Al back in third year. We blew it off and ended up laughing hysterically the entire year. Needless to say, I got a new partner fourth year. I ended up with a Slytherin bloke by the name of Timmy Stillbins. We argued constantly because he was an overachieving berk and I just took the class to have a nap (how Ravenclaw like of me, right?). In fifth year, I got Masen Clark, which wasn't completely dreadful, but he liked to nap too, so we got next to nothing done all year. I guess we didn't "bond spiritually".

I followed Al up the Staircase of Doom, our little nickname for Trelawney's spiral staircase. I felt like I was walking to my death or something. Walking into her overly incensed room made me feel all lightheaded and giggly.

"Students, please wait to be seated." Trelawney called over the murmuring of the class. We were spread out around the room, just styanding their waiting for our new crystal-ball gazing partners. Oh joy.

"Cassandra Stone and Felix Rikes" Trelawney pointed to a table where a Ravenclaw girl sat with one of the Gryffindor guys. I turned to Albus as Trelawney partnered more people.

"Who do you want?" I asked, making conversation to pass the time.

"I dunno. Anyone except Charlotte." Al whispered back lazily. I glanced over at Charlotte, who had been throwing Al death-glares since DADA.

"Albus Potter and Daphne Draven." Al perked up immediately. He turned to me and grinned indulgently. I smirked back. Al couldn't have gotten a better match. I knew he harbored a secret lust for Weasley's friend. I tried not to smile as Al grinned sheepishly at his new partner who just raised a brow and sat down at their assigned table.

"Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley."

The smile instantly melted off my face.

------

Rose's POV:

Oh hell no.

Who the hell does Trelawney think she is?

I looked at Sadie who had been my partner since third year. She was just staring at me with her mouth open in shock.

"Miss Weasley, please sit at your assigned table." Trelawney called impatiently.

I stalked over and threw my bag down before dropping angrily in my chair. Malfoy glanced up at me in apprehention. I sneered at him.

"What?" I snapped. He merely raised a brow.

"No need to be rude, Weasley." he murmered snarkily, his silvery eyes dancing with mirth.

I rolled my eyes and pulled my textbook from my bag. Trelawney finished partnering people up. I glanced enviously at Masen and Sadie who were laughing at some joke Masen had just told and at Albus and Daphne who were talking. I groaned at my misfortune.

"Am I not who you expected to be partnered with?" Malfoy asked, not looking up from his textbook.

"Not in the slightest." I responded, looking at him in confusion. Why was he acting so civil with me?

I decided to just ask him. "Why are you being decent to me all of a sudden?" Malfoy froze for a fraction of a second before slowly looking up at me.

"Well... I guess I realized that it upsets Al when we fight, so I decided to be the bigger man and try and be cordial with you." Malfoy said slowly, like he was choosing his words. "For Al's sake, of course." he added hastily.

"Of course." I murmured.

"Open your books to the section on tea leaves please. Today we will interpreting the symbols with in." Trelawney called to the room.

"Didn't we do this in third year?" some one called from the back of the room. Trelawney looked up in indignation.

"I have discovered that the inner eye is more developed for such a high level of Divination as such after a few years of pruning and molding." Trelawney said. I snorted. It sounded like she made that up as she went along. She repeated the same list of instructions as in third year, so I just stared amicably around the room as she spoke.

I got up with the rest of the class to get the tea. I came back to the table to see Malfoy staring at his cup in disgust.

"Pink not your color?" I asked. He looked up at me and sighed.

"I hate her tea. Its too strong and she never gives us sugar or anything." he said, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

I looked into my own cup of tea. Malfoy had practically taken the thought from my head as I had poured my tea. I hated the fact that we had something in common almost as much as I secretly was thrilled by it.

Malfoy let out a long sigh. "Lets get this over with, shall we?" he said, raising a single brow. My heart jumped into overdrive as he looked at me with those storm-cloud grey eyes. I looked away and nodded quickly, lifting my cup.

"On three... One. Two. Three." We downed the offensively strong beverages like competetors at a bar. He finished first and smirked in a playful way as I tried to regain some of my femininity after practically chugging the tea by daintily placing it on the saucer.

Malfoy gave me a half playful, half mocking look, like he had some big secret he wanted to gloat about or something. It infuriated me. "Just swill your damn leaves." I mumbled grouchily as I spun the dregs of my tea three times before placing it upside down on my saucer.

We swapped cups and turned to the pages containing the symbols and meanings. I stared into Malfoy's cup, completely pertrubed.

"I think I see a leaf. No, wait," Malfoy kept twisting and turning the cup while squinting. It was comical to watch. "No, I think that's a kite. Yeah, that looks more like a kite." He had his head tilted to the side and one eye closed. He consulted his textbook.

"'A sign of lengthy voyaging and travel leading to honor and dignity.' Well, congrats, Weasley. Good luck on your journey." Malfoy refocused on my cup. I looked into the load of congealed greenish crap in the bottom of his cup and tried to find dicernable shapes amongst the lumps.

It was times like these that I wished I'd taken something else instead.

"I think you have a.....Lighthouse?" I had no clue. I was just saying the first thing that came into my head. "'The lighthouse: a good sign of security and of light on your path whenever it is most needed; if crooked or broken, disaster at sea'." I looked up at Malfoy to see him staring at me in confusion. Then he started chuckling. I smiled involuntarily, but instantly fought it off my face.

"Ok, so I think I see a unicorn, which means 'an indication of scandal'. Well, have fun with that." he shrugged before reconsulting my cup. I rolled my eyes and looked into his cup.

"Well, you have a...." I looked around at the immediate area surrounding me for inspiration. I landed on the simple silver link bracelet around my wrist. "Bracelet. I clearly see a bracelet in here." I quickly scanned my book, praying desperately that the meaning was there.

"'A discovery made too late." I said smugly, setting down his cup. He shot me a slightly scathing look, reminding me why I generally couldn't stand him.

"Class, your assignment is to read chapter three. You are dismissed." Trelawney shouted right as the bell rang. I packed my things away just as Malfoy walked back from putting our cups away. I looked up at him to see that stupid secretive smirk back on his face. I scoffed and rolled my eyes before heading ff to my next class.

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**AN: So.... I kinda really like this chapter. And the tea leaf meanings I got off a site, so they aren't complete gibberish. And, you'll see that they have meaning in the rest of the story. Well, some of them atleast :)**

**Review please, my lovely readers, with any questions, comments or concerns and I promise an awesome chapter :)**


	5. Of Questions and Emptiness

**AN: Guess which author loves her readers more than words can express?????? THIS ONE!!! RIGHT HERE!**

**so...I decided to provide a short, little in-between chapter to keep you happy. **

**A full length will be provided when I have more time. **

**And reviews will be answered next chapter, also. But that doesn't mean you can't ask more questions in that time, I fully expect them after this juicy lil chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I wish...**

Rose's POV:

"Does Daphne like your cousin?" Masen asked me as we sat in the library Thursday night, slaving over our Transfiguration homework. I slowly looked up at him, only to see he was staring off at where Daph and Albus were sitting at a secluded little table, books stacked all around them.

"Uh, I dunno." I answered. The truth was, Daphne was very secretive about who she liked. It took weeks for me and Sadie to get little things like who she though was cute out of her, let alone full out crushes. So when she had dated her first boyfriend, Kyle, back in third year, we were all suprised. It lasted a whole of two weeks before Daphne got fed up and broke up with him at breakfast one morning. Daphne was sweet and all, but when it came to guys, she was ruthless and heartless. Sadie was the complete opposite. She fell in 'love' with every guy she kissed (which was a rather large amount), dated them for about a week, then tossed them away when they weren't Prince Charming-like enough for her.

"She's giggling." Masen said flatly, blatantly staring at Daph and Albus. I didn't bother to look.

"Nah, Daphne doesn't know how to giggle. Its far too girly for her." I said.

"Well, it looks like she is." he said. I peeked through a gap in my hair at them and sure enough, Daph had her flirtiest smile on. I supressed a sigh.

"Masen, do you like Daphne?" I asked quietly. Masen blushed and quickly looked away from Daphne and at his parchment.

"Uh, of course. You know, she's my friend and all." he mumbled. Liar.

"Not what I meant and you know it." I said, setting down my quill. "Now tell me...Do. You. _Like_. Daphne?" I enunciated each word, especially the 'like'. Masen opened his mouth to respond but was quickly cut off by someone stopping at our table.

"Hey could I work with you guys?" I looked up to see Porter Thomas towering over us. Masen sighed happily and stood, gathering his stuff.

"Sure, man, take my seat. I was done anyway." Masen said, smirking coyly at me. I glared back. He and I both knew I'd get the answer sooner or later.

"Thanks, Clark." Porter said, dropping his bag on the table as Masen walked away.

"So, Rose. There's something I've been meaning to ask you." Porter spun his eagle feather quill between his fingers, not meeting my eyes.

"Uh-huh.." I ushered him on. He peeked up at me from under his long, dark lashes. He smiled at me, his teeth sparkling white against his mocha-colored skin. I kinda wished he'd get a zit or something. It'd be easier to look at him with out swooning.

"So. Theres a Hogsmeade trip coming up..." he said slowly, his dark eyes sparkling. I saw where this was going. Most girls would kill to be in my place. Hell, there were girls staring at me with such hate, it was amazing I didn't combust on the spot.

"Yeah.." I said to fill his pause.

"Would you consider going with me?" Porter asked hopefully, biting is lip. I considered saying no. Not because I didn't like Porter, that wasn't the case at all. I honestly don't know why, but a part of me felt sort of....empty.

"Like on a date?" I said, meeting his eyes. He nooded, "Yeah. A date. Just you and me." he said, looking a teensie bit less hopeful then before. I looked away from him as I considered my answer.

I scanned the library that I could see in my line of sight until my eyes met the silvery storm cloud-like ones of Scorpius Malfoy. He was sitting with Victrola Slater and a Ravenclaw guy I couldn't remember the name of diretly infront of me across the library.

Malfoy had been scowling at Porter's back, but when our eyes met, something happened. The emptiness seemed to lessen slightly and I was acutely aware of each of my breaths, each beat of my heart. I think I stopped breathing after my breath left me in a gust. All I knew was that I wanted to keep looking at Malfoy. That I wished he was the one sitting across from me right now, and not Porter Thomas.

I saw Malfoy gulp and look away, and my breath returned, filling my lungs again and washing away the light warm feeling from before and replacing it with a heavy emptiness. I was scared. I'd never felt so vulnerable, so....not in control of my emotional responses.

I hated myself for enjoying it slightly.

I looked back at Porter, plastering on a fake, empty smile.

"Yes. Porter, I'd absolutely love to go out with you."

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**AN: I loved writing this. Yes, its short. Yes, its delightfully intense. Yes, I'd like some awesome reviews for this. **

**Please, feel free to tell me how much you loved/hated this chapter. **


	6. Authors Note

**THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER!**

**I want to apologize, here and now, for the lack of updates. I am NOT on hiatus, I just have absolutely no time. **

**When I started Three Words, it was just a little fic that I thought would gain no fans and would be just an outlet for my excess creativity. I never imagined it would be this successful, and I want to thank all of my readers. **

**I promise I will find the time to write a chapter, soon, hopefully. **

**I don't want to make excuses, but the reason I have no time is because I joined drama at my school, like, two days after winter break. Since then I have suffered through three consectutive days a week of rehearsals that start at 3 pm and end at 5. But when showtime gets closer, I had to stay afterschool till 8 pm. **

**I also have a neurotic American History teacher that overloads on homework, and a project for Forensic Science that requires me to learn every aspect of an assigned serial killer and make a powerpoint about them. I have to make a slide for each victim. My killer has almost 80. **

**Please forgive me. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please review or PM me. **


	7. Of Boyfriends and Blushes

**AN: Still sorry for not updating. Drama takes alot out of you. Especially when your in "curtain productions".**

**As for the stuff about the Muggle-Pureblood nobility in this chapter, I just made it up, along with the Kensingtons. It'll make sense later on in the chapter. I kinda took the idea from the way the book series The Luxe (by Anna Godberson) treats high class.**

**Disclaimer: I wish.**

Rose's POV:

"Porter Thomas?!" Masen, Sadie, and Daphne gasped in unison. We were sitting on Masen's bed in his room, Friday night, alone in his dorm. I blew my bangs out of my face and looked up at his canopy over the bed.

"Yes. Porter Thomas asked me out. And I said yes. What's so odd about that?" I didn't want to sound defensive, but I knew thats how I came across.

"Well, it isn't as if you have an amazing track record, Rosie." Sadie said lightly. I looked at her questioningly, but it was Masen who answered.

"Well, lets see. First boyfriend, Kyle Lancaster, third year. You made him cry on the first date when he said Bulgaria had a better Quidditch team than Great Britain." I started to protest, but Masen raised his voice and continued on like I hadn't spoken.

"Second boyfriend, Abraham MacMillian, fourth year. Your relationship lasted a week, and it ended when you got in a fist fight with him that resulted in you giving him two black eyes and a concussion, whilst you walked away with a busted lip, which you gave yourself." I smiled at this memory, and chuckled softly.

Daphne burst out laughing, and said "I remember that fight! Wasn't it over Quidditch, too?" I nodded.

"Third boyfriend, Olivier Le Rheaux, fourth year. This one lasted the longest, seven months, but you broke up with him." Masen met my eyes and I mouthed thank you. I appreciated him keeping the reasons for our break up to himself. Only Masen knew that Olivier broke up with me for not sleeping with him. He was a fifth year, and I was only fourteen. I didn't love him.

Masen cleared his throat and continued. "Fourth boyfriend, Decklin Finnegan, fifth year. Mutual decision to break up." I actually liked dating Decklin. He was sweet and funny, and we dated for six months. It was just that we were better friends than boyfriend-girlfriend. I was still good friends with him. He was also Porter Thomas' best friend.

"And finally Nathaniel Kensington-Zabini. Fifth year. Broke up with him because he's a pretentious berk." Masen concluded while digging his hand into the bowl of chips we were all sharing.

"Whats with the hyphenated last name?" Sadie asked after a moment of thoughtful silence. I shrugged, as I honestly didn't have a clue, and Masen looked lost as well. Daphne was the one to respond.

"Its because his mother is from a well known English Muggle family, the Kensingtons. Its like.... The Potters, or the Blacks from your granparents time, or the Weasleys and Potters now. They're, like, the Upper Class. The Elite. Only more so in the Muggle world. Everyone in Upper Class Muggle England knows who they are." She said.

"I thought Zabini's dad was a pureblood." Masen said, still looking confused.

"Oh, he is. Nate is a halfblood." Daphne said matter of factly. I looked up at her.

"Nate?" I said, amazed. I didn't know she knew Zabini so well. Apparently, neither did Sadie or Masen.

Daphne blushed. "Our mothers are best friends. Even though he's a year older than me, I've been friends with him since I was born." She didn't meet any of our eyes a fact that Sadie and I both caught.

"Did it bother you, then, that we really trashed him when he and Rose broke it off?" Masen asked with what it seemed like was feigned nonchalance.

"No. Nate's an arrogant, kind of chauvanist and sexist berk. He knows it, though, so it didn't really bother me." Daph said.

"He's adorable, though." Sadie said, smiling in that way she always did when ever the subject of good looking guys came up. Masen looked kind of uncomfortable at this point.

"Yeah, he is." Daphne said, sounding kind of sad.

I looked at her questioningly. She just shook her head.

"Well, that doesn't solve my Porter Problem." I said, grabbing a handful of chips.

"Oh, so now he's a problem?" Masen laughed. I stuck my chip covered tounge out at him. "Attractive, Posie. You should do that on Saturday. Then you wouldn't have a "Porter Problem"." Masen sneered jokingly.

"But it really is a problem." Sadie said, her big blue eyes impossibly wider as she nodded. As she was about to elaborate, the dorm door opened and Decklin and Porter, two of the last people I wanted to see at this point strolled in. They were laughing like they'd just shared some inside joke that no one else would get, even if you explained it to them several times.

Decklin saw us girls first and sobered up pretty quickly. He kinda slapped Porter in the ribs with the back of his hand and cleared his throat. Porter finally registered the sight before him and gulped. It was an awkward situation to say the least.

"So.... How 'bout those Cannons?" Sadie said, attempting to break the awkward silence. We all turned to stare at her in bewilderment. She shrunk under our stared and looked to Daphne for help.

"Well. C'mon Rose, Sadie, lets go to the library or something." Daphne, Sadie and I hastily got up and left. As I exited the door, Porter caught my eye and winked. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and I quickly looked away.


	8. Of Chocolate and Dates Part One

**AN: I love life on occasion. Like when life decides that my dad should randomly buy me a laptop. Although, that apparently still doesn't give me enough time to update regularly.**

**I really like this chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out, but its pretty long. I just write when stuff comes to me. **

**[[[[READ THIS]]]] _THIS IS ONLY HALF OF THIS CHAPTER! IT'S REALLY LONG, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO POST IT ALL AT ONCE. _**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim.**

Scorpius' POV:

"You know what might be better than Quidditch? Bacon." Al said sleepily Saturday morning at breakfast. I stared at him for a brief moment. I wasn't surprised by this odd statement so much as confused as to what brought it about. after all, after going on six years of friendship, you just stop questioning your best friend. I stopped questioning the way Al's mind worked at about our second year.

"Really, and why is that?" I said to humor him. Sometimes it was incredible fun just to mess with Al when he was in one of his semi-conscious stupors like this. Currently, he was holding a strip of bacon between his forefinger and thumb, just staring at it; his eyes were slightly out of focus and he had a bemused expression on his face.

"Because," Al said, his words slurred with sleep."Its just so...perfect. Bacon is always there for you, you know? It just never lets you down. It makes you happy, it gets along great with eggs and toast, and it doesn't even taste bad if you accidentally get maple syrup on it when you eat pancakes." He took a bite out of the bacon he'd been holding and made a weird, gutteral moan of pleasure. I averted my eyes in discomfort. I looked up to see Cassie across from me, shaking and red-faced from silent laughter.

"Here, get some coffee in you." I said, pouring a steaming cup full of pure black coffee and sliding it towards Al. He smiled sheepishly at the cup and took a sip. I rolled my eyes at him before turning away.

"So, Cassie, any plans for today?" I asked, trying to make conversation. Cassie looked up at me and quirked a brow before humoring me.

"Yeah. Me and my boyfriend were going to head to Honeydukes or something. You?" she responded. I shrugged and took a sip of my juice.

"I dunno. I guess me and Al are probably just going to bum around." I honestly didn't know why I was even going to Hogsmeade today. After the shock of hearing about Weasley's date with that prick Thomas, I had every intention of sulking in my dorm, eating candy and wallowing in my self-pity.

Oh yeah. I'm the epitomy of manliness.

Then, Victrola and Al had convinced me to join them in Hogsmeade. I knew Al just wanted company while he tried to "nonchalantly" run into Daphne Draven. Victrola would undoubtedly drag us to Madame Pudifoot's. I hated that place with a burning passion, but Victrola loved it and loved to torture us with it. Sometimes it sucked having a girl as a best friend.

"C'mon, we should go," Al said, crumbling his napkin and leaving it on his plate. We followed the line out of the Great Hall. Once we passed the checkpoint, Al and I started off towards the village. We hadn't cleared the gates before something slammed into my left side, nearly throwing me off balance. Al, who'd been on my right, hadn't been able to stablize himself in time, so he and the person who had smashed into us went barrelling to the ground. Only then did I see that it had been Victrola.

"Ughhhhh!" she groaned holding her forehead, which had collided with the back of Al's head, judging by the fact that he was rubbing it and wincing. They were lying on the ground in a disheveled heap; I couldn't help but to laugh a little at their expressions and the looks people were giving as they passed. I bent over and extended a hand to each of them, helping them up.

"Jesus Ollie! What the hell?!" Al demanded, pulling the hat he was wearing off and rubbing fiercly at his scalp. Victrola, who has looked angry before, now looked supremely pissed at Al's use of the horrible nickname we'd given her back in second year. She punched Al in the arm. He merely rolled his eyes and mockingly whined, "Oh, _oww_" I cracked up and started off again towards the village. Al and Victrola followed soon after, lightly bickering.

"So why were you running after us?" Al asked as we entered onto the main street. We were walking in the general direction of Honeyduke's our combined tradition and guilty pleasure. Victrola had linked her arms with both mine and Al's, something she'd started back in third year, much to our displeasure. We'd gotten used to it by now. It really sucked though, when she dragged us places like Madame Pudifoot's, which was unconviniently located near the candy shop.

"Oh, I was trying to catch up to you guys, and I couldn't stop in time." she said. We were about to enter Honeyduke's when I spotted Porter Thomas and Weasley standing on the opposite side of the street, talking. I stopped in my tracks.

"C'mon, you loser, lets go." Victrola was pulling my arm, and that brought me out of my trance just as Weasley grabbed Thomas' hand and started walking to the sweets shop. Al pulled us all inside before they crossed the road. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and immersed myself in my surroundings. I loved Honeyduke's. There was literally no candy that you couldn't buy in here. I had a chocolate fixation. Al always made fun of me for it, but I couldn't help it. I immediatly ran to the wall of chocolates and grabbed one of the premeasured bags, filling it with dark chocolate pieces.

I was concentrating on my twist tie that I was wrapping around the brim of my bag, I was startled when two people walked up and started loudly discussing candy next to me.

"But Rosie, wouldn't you rather have something like these pink-chocolate-covered daisies? They've made ones with cherry goo now!" Porter Thomas was saying to a very pissed looking Weasley. He wasn't paying her the slightest bit of attention. He was too busy pointing at the girly candies.

"No, Porter, I told you I wanted to pick up some peppermint dark chocolates, ok?" Rose said in a tone that was a pittiful attempt at sweet, but was borderline aggrivated.

"Well, sure, but dark chocolate is so strong, don't you think?" he was saying, holding out little heart shaped white chocolates with sparkles in them. I almost gagged. I was surprised when Weasley turned around and mimed puking. She looked up and caught me staring, still struggling with my twisty tie. We kind of froze, still maintaining eye contact. She broke the staring contest first and cleared her throat, looking down. I stared intently at my reluctant twisty-thing, refusing to look at Weasley again. She leaned really close to me, reaching for a bag, and as she did so, I could smell her shampoo (it was coconut-ish) and her perfume (which smelled like vanilla, and flowers, and just...good). I resisted the urge to lunge at her and just grab her, then and there.

"So, sweetie. How about these?" Thomas said cheerfully, holding out a frilly pink container of chocolates. But not just any chocolates. These were about the most vile looking pink chocolates ever to be made. They were a vibrant bubble gum pink and shaped like unicons. UNICORNS! As if that wasn't bad enough, there were also purple and silver sparle infused butterflies in the container. I tried, I really did, but I couldn't help exploding with laughter. Thomas looked up, his face red with anger. Weasley looked shocked and confused, but you could tell she wanted to laugh, too.

Thomas slammed the girly candies down and grabbed Weasley's hand, dragging her out of the store. I was still laughing as Al and Victrola walked up.

"C'mon, pay and lets go." Al said, reaching absently into Victrola's bag of sour candies. I oblidged and walked calmly up to the register, extracting the proper amount to pay. As I was paying, I couldn't hep but to over hear a conversation next to me.

"Yeah, Rose is with Porter. I think they're headed to Madame Pudifoot's." Weasley's friend Sadie Something-Or-Another was saying to Daphne Draven. I absentmindedly took my change from the cashier and turned to my friends.

"Hey, why don't we head to Madame Pudifoots?"

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**A SORRY EXCUSE FROM A SORRY AUTHOR:** _Please don't hate me. I truly love you all, more than you know. Your reviews are amazing to read and really make me appreciate this story more so than when I started. Even though I'm a sucky updater, I promise each of these chapters are my best. Nothing less for my amazing fans _:)

_With that said, the next half of this chapter will be out (hopefully) soon. I haven't written it yet (please don't kill me) but thats because I want your opinion._

_I already know exactly what I'm doing with this chapter; nothing will change that. **But I want to know who's PoV do you want the next half in? **Please review with your answers. The PoV with the most support will win. Or, if no one wants to choose one, it'll be Scorpius' no matter what. I just want you all to have a choice in the matter. _

_Thanks again, and I love you all. _

_Reviews?_


	9. Of Chocolate and Dates Part Two

**AN: So fucking sorry for the wait, but some shits been hitting the fan in my life... anyway...WoooHoooooooo! Second half! sooooo.... Thanks to everyone who reviewed; I've decided on...... a half-and-half chapter. I liked that idea the most. This, with alternate between the two a bit. Hope thats ok. **

**Someone also suggested an Albus POV chapter. I'm thinking, that maybe, after this story is over I'll redo it in his POV. Or with only a few fan-selected chapters. I'll do a companion piece either way, though. **

**Disclaimer: Nope. I wish, though.**

_Soundtrack for this chapter_**:  
**_"About a Girl" The Academy is...  
"Living In The Sky With Diamonds" Cobra Starship  
"Can You Keep A Secret" The Cab_

* * *

**Scorp's POV:**

Al looked at me and laughed. Victrola was paused, a piece of candy half raised to her mouth, just staring at me.

"You're shitting me, right?" he asked breathlessly, still chuckling. I looked at my shoes.

"Oh, shit, you were serious?" Al sobered immediatly. "Uh, is there something you wanna.. you know.. _come out _about?" Al asked fighting a smirk. I looked up sharply and glowered. Victrola snorted, "Awe! Wittle Scorpie is....gay?" She cracked up, while I just glowered.

"Ah! Come on, man! You know we're shitting you!" Al said, "So... Why the sudden interest in the Tea Shoppe o' Horror?" Victrola scuffed and slapped him halfheartedly in the chest. He bumped her shoulder with his. I looked at the ground again, taking a breath to calm my pounding heart. Crapcrapcrapcrap..... Do I tell them? I mean, they already knew I liked Weasley. But having that reinstated in their minds and allowing them to be in the same room? No. Fuck no. That was getting myself into even deeper shit than before.

"Does this have anything to do with Weaselface?" Victrola asked. Al glared at her. She looked up at him with wide brown eyes. "What?" He just glared some more. I was really thankful for this distraction.

"Oh.. Right... Weaselface..." She said sheepishly to Al. He merely raised a brow. "Ugh! Ok! FINE!. I'm sorry." She raised her hands in the universal 'cool down' motion. Vic turned towards me rooled her eyes. "So. Does this whole Madame Pudifoots excursion have anything to do with _Rose_?" She said the name like someone would say 'cannibalism'. I found that this whole bashing thing of Victrola's was starting to piss me off. Which made me pissed at myself. I am such a conundrum.

We had already started walking towards the tea shoppe and now we were directly across the street from it. I could see happy and cheerful couples in there, being all....happy...and...cheerful. Ew.

"We're spying on Rose's date, aren't we?" Al asked. We all stood across the road, in a line. I'll admit, if we were there, doing something more manly than staring at a pink and sparkle infused tea shop, I'd have felt incredibly badass. But as it was, we were staring at a store who's window's were curtained with pink lace. And the sign was written in curly cursive, Also in...you guessed it, pink. They couldn't have added something more manly for the guys who got dragged here, like... Manticores. Or dragons. Or explosions of epic proprtions?

I sighed. "Yes. Yes, we are." I said.

"Damn you." Victrola mumbled before grabbing our arms and dragging us across the street.

As we entered, a bell chimed. A few people looked up through the haze of pink, before looking back down. But damn, it felt like every eye was on us. I started freaking out. It was packed. What if she saw us? I scanned for Weasely..Rose (if I like her so much, I should probably call her by name, right?) I found her, in the back corner of the shoppe, with Thomas. I looked for empty tables. There was one left.

And it was the table next to WeasRose's. The only thing separating it was a frosted glass partiton.

Shit.

* * *

**Rose's POV:**

"And then, if you'll believe it, I was grabbed! Yeah! Its hand was all...slimy and bony! And when I....." I tuned Porter out.

We were sitting in Madame Pudifoot's, also known as the most vile place in exsistence. I was twirling the pearl-colored stirrer in my weird mint-and-soda drink, only pretending to listen to Porter's self-rightious banter. I took a sip of my soda (I'd refused, point-blank, to let Porter order me the "world famous rose petal infused tea, with crushed mint, American Beauty rose petals and lavender!") and let my self zone out a bit. Some overly loved up crap was softly playing in the background amongst the buzz of multiple voices. I sighed. why the hell was I even here? I don't like Porter. He's nice-ish, and he's good looking, but I don't like him.

My thoughts strayed further... to a certain silver-eyed, blonde Ravenclaw. I really wanted to despise him aws much as I'd always had. But everything was changing so fast. I just wanted it all to stop. I wanted everything to be easy. To be clear, planned out, simplefied... To be nothing like how life really was. Why? Why did I have to suddenly get these super confusing feelings now?

"Rose? Are you listening to me?" Porter was waving his hand infront of my face, annoyingly. I huffed and looked up.  
"Yes! I'm listen-" I was cut off by a loud crash from the table next to ours. I looked over and saw a waitress hastily waving her wand at the floor, clearing up spilled drinks and repairing shattered glasses. And just as I was about to start a conversation with Porter again, I noticed who it was at the table.

"Albus? What're you doing here?" I asked incredulusly. Albus turned a delicate shade of red and studdered a bit before looking at the other table occupants pleadingly. And when I realized who they were, my blood turned to ice.

Victrola Slater and Malfoy were both sitting there, staring guiltily.

"Are... Are you spying on me?" I screeched. I knew it was kind of shallow to assume, but the way they looked all... caught red handed, made me think that it was true. At least, until Malfoy spoke up.

His face changed into a mask of cool composue in an instant. He shot me a sarcastic sneer before standing. "No, Weasley, believe it or not, we weren't, seeing as nothing in situation, believe it or not, revloves soley around you," Malfoy drawled. "I was just meeting up with Al and Victrola here briefly to talk about something that, once again, has nothing to do with you. And now, I'm leaving them to their.." he faltered a bit before adding "their date." Both Albus and Victrola's heads whipped up at Malfoy incredulusly. He looked at them with a raised brow before turning on his heel and marching out of the tea shoppe.

There was a moment of awkward silence before we all realized that the entire store had heard that whole scene. It was dead silent, with some occasional whispers thrown in, before Albus cleared his throat in an embarassed way before throwing his arm across Slter's shoulders and drawing her close. He gulped before saying in a odd voice, "Yep. A date. Me and Vic. Vic and me. Dating."

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**AN: please don't kill me in various creative ways for this chapter. I loved it :)**

**Review and love in the form of figureative cookies and/or bacon (because bacon is godly) shall be recieved...**


	10. Of Cats and Questionable Sanity

**AN: Don't judge me for this chapter. You all asked for an update, so I obliged. My weird mind knows no bounds.**

**Disclaimer: Not-eth Mine-eth**

_**Scorpius' POV**:_

Why am I such an idiot? I fucked up. I fucked up _majorly. _

And it's not even that I really wanted to ruin Rose's date. I didn't. I just…. I just what? What can I say? I messed up Rose's date with Thomas and now, if by some miracle we were to get together, she'd hate me.

I was now heading along the path to the Shrieking Shack. I was completely alone on this shady and rather creepy path (that pretty much sums up the rest of my romantic life right there. Alone, shady, and creepy. I should be a Public Service Announcement: _"Don't fuck up, kids, or you could end up like this guy, right here!" _)

God, I'm pathetic. I'm overreacting. I won't end up alone (or shady and creepy for that matter, but looking at my Grandfather on my dad's side… Ugh…)

No. I'll be proactive about this. I'll be optimistic. I will get over this.

I was now standing in front of the Shrieking Shack's front gate. It was early autumn, so it was brisk and chilly out. I had to draw my jacket closer to me to keep warm as a breeze rolled in. I was standing there alone, looking at the decrepit ruin of a legendarily haunted house, as a cold wind blew through, rattling the deadened tree branches and stirring the crunchy, fallen leaves when all of the sudden something bumped into my leg.

I shouted, loudly, and fell backwards on a pile of leaves. My heart was pounding in my chest as I scanned around me for the rooting zombie or shark or Tyrannosaurus Rex or whatever the fuck I was going to have to fight to the death.

And all I saw was a cat. Or, to be specific, a kitten.

The last vestiges of my Manhood have officially left me.

The tiny, little kitten looked up at me and let out the weirdest fucking yowl I have ever heard before jumping onto my chest and laying down.

I looked at it, and it stared back, before I realized that I was laying in autumn leaves with a cat purring on my chest.

Oh, my god. I am never, ever telling anyone this. Ever.

I scooped up the cat in one hand and lifted it off of me before pushing myself up and standing. I was still holding the cat (who was purring loudly) as I brushed crumbled leaves of my backside.

I kind of examined the cat for fleas and shit, because, you know, the thing had been laying on me. I didn't want to explain why I suddenly acquired bloodsucking bugs along with my shattered dignity.

The cat was really small, like, it was small enough to fit in my coat pocket, small. It just barely hung over my finger tips in the hand I was holding it in. It was also pure white, with huge greenish eyes and one black tipped paw. I had no clue who it belonged to or where the hell it came from.

I started off back down the road, yowling cat in hand, towards town. I was taking this damn cat to the pet store there and letting it be their problem.

As I drew nearer to the more popular part of Hogsmeade, I gained more and more stares as I went. Like these people hadn't seen weirder than a pissed off and shamed guy holding a noisy cat and walking quickly down the street. We went to a fucking magic school, for God's sake. Damn.

When I reached the pet store, I sped up and practically ran inside. It was located right across from the Three Broomsticks, better known as the most popular place in this God damn village. I really didn't need to loose anymore street cred by being seen with an 'adorable little kitten'.

"Hello! Can I help you?" an overly cheerful voice called as I reached the counter. I deposited the Cat in the counter and looked for the person who had spoken.

"Uh, yeah. I, uh, found a cat?" I called uncertainly. A few seconds later a rather short and flightly-looking woman walked from a back room with an owl on her shoulder. The owl was rather scary. It was a normal looking owl, but it had a fiercely predatory look to it. It seemed to scan me, before snapping its head to the side to stare hungrily at some terrified mice.

"Oh! Isn't this little guy just the cutest!" The woman, who's name plate read 'Juniper' gushed, scooping up the Cat. The cat started protesting, crying angrily and fighting to be let go. Juniper set the cat back on the counter, and it darted towards me, leaning against my forearm, which was on the counter.

"Yeah, adorable. Is it yours?" I asked briskly, wanting nothing more than to leave this place. Juniper looked up at me, and my first reaction was to cringe back in shock. She had long, plain brown hair, twisted back with what looked like a rib. An actual rib bone. If that wasn't weird enough, her face was what really added to her over all…look. Juniper had a huge nose, was missing a front tooth, and had a rather grotesque mole sprouting hairs on her chin. But her eyes. Oh my fucking god, her eyes freaked the shit out of me. One was an oddly feral amber color. The other, which pointed off to the side, was a bright yellowy color. I looked over her head and took deep breaths as she spoke.

"Oh, no dear. We haven't had a cat give birth in quite some time. No this one was born about a month and a half ago. She's a rare breed. Rather intelligent. Won't grow to be bigger than your forearm, wrist to elbow." Juniper said knowledgeably.

"Oh. Great. So it's a girl. Wonderful. So… are you.. cool with taking.. her?" I asked awkwardly, not wanting to look directly at Juniper.

"Oh!" Her tone startled me enough that I looked at her. And just in time, too. The owl perched on her shoulder had turned its attention to the cat and was glaring hungrily at her. I scooped the cat up and clutched her protectively to my chest. Juniper was unfazed. "Well, I guess I could. She'll probably sell to one of the third year girls." Juniper was looking around the store, now, completely oblivious to the three way stare down going on between me, the cat, and the owl.

"Actually, I changed my mind. I'll be keeping her, thanks." I said rudely, before turning on my heel and slamming through the door.

I don't know why I did it. I wasn't a pet person. I didn't even have an owl. But I couldn't let the cat stay there. Psycho Juniper and the demon owl were reason enough. So here I was. Standing back on Main Street, holding a noisy cat. I started off down towards the Quidditch supply store. It was getting colder as the day went on, and the cat- I mean, my cat- was shivering. I stopped and looked down at her, in my hand, her little paws dangling and her fuzzy tail wrapping around my arm as much as it could. She looked up at me with those gigantic green eyes. It was a pleading look, like "Help me, you shrewd bastard". I thought for a minute before opening my jacket and sticking her in the inside pocket there. I felt the cat move a bit in the pocket against my chest before settling. I was about to head into the Quidditch supply store when I heard someone shouting my name. I spun around and saw a pissed off Al and a slightly less pissed looking Victrola next to him.

"What the FUCK, Scorp! I agreed to spy in my cousin, not end up with Vic!" Al shouted. Victrola stopped short and looked up at Al.

"Hey. Don't be an ass." She simpered, looking slightly affronted.

Al rolled his eyes and glared at me again. "What happened, Scorp?" He asked, looking really pissed, and slightly curious at the same time. I threw my arms up and felt the cat (which I'd momentarily forgotten about) jostle about, a bit. She started yowling loudly. Vic and Al looked at each other before staring at me, shocked.

"Scorpius, is your coat meowing?" Victrola asked slowly. I looked at the ground and mumbled, "No."

The cat was still meowing in my pocket at this point, so my denials were of no use.

Victrola reached up and opened my coat. We all looked at the inside breast pocket to see a tiny pure white head with one black paw and one white paw hanging over the rim, meowing contentedly.

"Why is there a cat in your pocket?" Al asked in disbelief.

"Because I felt like it!" I shouted stupidly before storming off towards the school. I stopped and turned to look at them. "Can one of you go to the pet store? I forgot food, and the crazy owl lady freaks me out." I said before turning back around, ignoring my two closest friends worrying over my sanity.

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**AN: Yeah...Don't know what this was about. **

**I'm tired. **

**G'night!**

**Reviews?**

**OH! and I'm putting up a pollabout that whole Albus's pov thing. See last Chapter's AN for explanation...**

**Review/Vote?**


	11. Of Secrets Told and Favorite Things

**AN: THAT DAMN CAT IS FUCKING IMPORTANT!**

**I love you all :)**

**I suggest you all check out MLIA (my life is average (dot) com; no spaces), if you don't already. **

**Warning: this story shall contain Beatles references, from here on out. **

**You're welcome. **

**If theres a problem, GET THE FUCK OUT.**

**Again, I still love you all.**

**Disclaimer: We all try. We don't succeed.**

**Rose's POV**

Porter hates me now. And I just had the weirdest day of my life.

I mean, I honestly don't care, but it'd be nice to atleast know why he now strongly dislikes me.

Sadie says its because I 'wounded his ego'. Daphne just laughed when I asked her. And Masen said "Who gives a flying fuck about Porter Thomas."

I'm inclined to go with Masen's response.

But, as I am not that cold hearted, I will be civil to him. Like that form of protest that Muggle guy Ghandi came up with. The one where they just sat there as the people they were protesting beat the crap out of them, making the protesters look all important and serious about stuff and the protested look all evil and shit.

I'm failing the history portion of Muggle Studies, if that wasn't painfully obvious.

Now, I know normally Porter wouldn't have been as dickwaddy as he was today, but what he said really had an effect on me. But what happened afterward...well... let me explain.

I was walking with Masen, Sadie, and Daphne down the hallway, headed for Charms, when Masen said something that made us laugh. We had been right near the door, and since the bell hadn't rang yet, there were some people hanging around. I was right in the doorway, with enough room for people to go through it behind me, when someone slammed into me, knocking me into Masen. I was about to turn to see who it was when a deep voice hissed, "Bitch."

I spun around as Masen and Daphne gasped indignantly. Sadie's mouth was hanging open. "What did you call me?" I asked. Porter, who had stopped after he slammed into me, turned to look at me with malice-filled eyes, and said, "You heard me, bitch. But I think slut is much more appropriate." He sneered. I looked up at him in shock. He was normally really sweet to me. Hell, he was sweet to everyone! What the hell was wrong with him?

"Porter, what...What wrong with you?" I asked softly. I should have known it was the wrong thing to say.

His face changed in an instant. It went from anger and spite to pure hatred and disgust. It was as if he'd slapped me. I actually took a step back, because the look on his face was that intense.

"Wrong with me?" he said in a low, dangerous voice. He didn't need to yell. Everyone was listening, anyway. "I...I can't believe you. You know, I thought you were different." He laughed bitterly. "But, I was wrong. I really liked you Rose. Hell, I'm not shy. Rose, I've been practically in love with you since first-fucking-year. And I finally got the courage to ask the great Rose Weasley out. And, I saw that look in the library. The look you had on your face right before I asked you out. I thought it was for me." Porter was looking directly in my eyes. And my insides froze. He knew. He'd figured it out.

The bell rang. Almost everyone had entered the classroom. Porter, Masen, Daphne, Sadie and I were still outside the room. The door to the Charms room was shut. But my friends were still there. They'd wanted to support me.

"And I saw the look, again in the tea shoppe. And I really knew then." Porter was all up in my face now, but there was nothing I could do. I was rooted to the spot, completely oblivious to everyone and everything around me. _'Please don't. Not here, Porter. Please_..." I was willing to hear my thoughts.

"You went out with me," he said slowly, enunciating each word. "You said yes to me. And you've been in love with Scorpius Malfoy the whole time."

I heard several gasps from behind me. I felt my throat constrict and my eyes start to well up.

"Porter... Porter, I..." I was able to whisper thickly.

"Please. Just tell me its not true. Please." He was pleading now.

I wanted to say it wasn't, that it couldn't possibly be true. But I'd be lying. And I couldn't keep lying to myself any more.

I just looked at him. It was all the response he needed. "Fine." He said, disgust back in his eyes. He opened the classroom door and strode angrily inside, slamming the door behind him. I stood in the same spot, not involuntarily. I was just too ashamed to face my friends.

"Rose... Is...Is it true?" I heard Sadie's voice from behind me. And then I turned around, and made the second mistake of the day.

Sadie was completely shocked. Daphne's face was carefully blank. But Masen's hurt the most. His was full of disgust.

"Masen!" I cried, tears now fully falling down my face. I must've looked horrendus, with my makeup running. He just looked at me.

"Malfoy? Really?" He couldn't keep the revulsion from his voice. And he hadn't bothered to try. That made me cry harder.

"Masen, please! Don't do this! I need you!" I choked out between sobs. And it was true. Masen was like the twin brother I'd never got. He was my best friend and knew me better than Sadie or Daphne.

"I don't believe you, Rose!" He practically shouted. "Of all the guys! I thought you had decent taste! Ugh! You know how he is with girls!"

"Please... Please, no.." I was pleading with him.

"Is that all you can say?" he looked at me. "Whatever." he spun around and walked into Charms.

I couldn't take it. I turned on my heel and ran.

I kept running until I got to the grounds. I was crying so hard, that I hardly felt the exertion of running. I didn't stop until I reached the large oak at the edge of the lake. I felt my knees give out and I fel forward, great sobs racking my whole body.

I don't know exactly how long I lay there, crying.

The sobs gradually subsided. Then all that was left was my runny nose and tears that just kept flowing down my soaked cheeks.

Through my hazy eyes, I saw something white infront of my face. I blinked a few times before a tiny kitten appeared in my line of site. I sat up and looked at it.

"Awe!" my voice was raspy. "Come here, kitty!" I cooed. The little cat walked to me. She rubbed against my outstretched hand, purring contentedly. I giggled inspite of myself.

"You're adorable!" I said, my voice still breaking. I tried to clear my throat.

I scooped the little cat into my arms and cuddled her to my chest as I leaned against the rough tree. It was comforting to finally have someone not look at me with revulsion.

"Abbey! Abbey, damn it! Where are you?" I heard a male voice calling. Looking up from the kitten, I saw the absolute last person on earth I wanted to see.

Malfoy was standing no to far from me, scanning the grounds. He was turning and had spotted me.

"Hey, Weasley! Have you seen a really small white cat with one black paw anywhere?" he yelled to me. I sighed and raised the kitten-Abbey- up. It was odd to see relief wash over Malfoy's face as he bounded over to me.

"Abbey!" he said, relief in his voice, too. He reached for the cat, and I reluctantly handed her to him. As I did, our hands brushed. I snatched my hand away.

"Whoa, you look like hell." Malfoy said. I glowered up at him.

"Gee, thanks." I rasped, embarassed that my voice still sounded so horrible. I looked away. "Just go, Malfoy." I whispered. He made a move to turn and leave, but seemed to change his mind. He sat down right next to me, leaning against the tree. I raised my eyebrow.

"What happened?" He said in a mockingly concerned voice. I scoffed and started to get up.

Malfoy caught my wrist and said, "No really, whats wrong?"

I wanted to pull my arm from his grasp and run. But his voice had been so soft and pleading. I turned to look at him.

"Why do you care?" My voice was barely above a whisper. Malfoy gulped and stared at me, before looking away and letting go of me. "Because you're Al's cousin."

"Oh. Ok. Whatever." I sat back down, partly because I was here first, and partly because there was no where else I wanted to be at the moment.

"Cute cat." I said.

"Yeah sure," he responded, glancing down at the little kitten in his lap. He'd said it nonchalantly, but his silvery eyes sparked.

"Her name's Abbey?" I asked. He smiled. "Yeah. Abbey Road." He chuckled.

I was shocked. "After the Beatles album?"

Malfoy turned and quirked a brow. "I am full of surprises, Rose Weasley." he said softly but arrogantly, smirking in a way that made it seem like he knew something I didn't. It both infuriated and thrilled me.

"Oh really?" I said just as softly.

Malfoy just smiled wider and turned forward. "Yep. And maybe one day you'll learn them." He said. I snorted and looked away.

"You're not exactly mysterious, yourself, Weasley." he said. I laughed.

"Sure, Malfoy. Just keep doubting me." I said teasingly. Inside, I was shocked at how well we were getting along.

"A question for a question?" He said. I looked at him.

"Why not. You first?" I said, starting to feel the exaustion from today. It was still light outside, and Charms was my last class, but crying and running had taken alot out of me.

"Hmmm. Favorite color?" he said. I chuckled. "Red. You"

"Blue." he said. "Favorite...Food?" I thought for a minute. "Raspberries."

We continued back and forth for a bit. I learned his favorite food was any kind of pasta, his favorite Quidditch team was The Ireland National team, and his favorite kind of candy was anything from the chocolate wall in Honeydukes.

"Ok, how about some serious questions now?" I said. He laughed. It was a little unnerving that we weren't trying to rip each other limb from limb, but I was enjoying myself to really give it much thought.

"Ok... Whats your favorite childhood memory?" he asked. I closed my eyes and smiled slightly.

"My first Quidditch game, with my dad. I was five, and I remember every detail. All the smells, all the sounds...Who won..." I opened my eyes. "Ok, Malfoy... Who do you admire most in the world?" I asked.

He inhaled deeply. "Sirius Black." he said, his voice so low, I was amazed I'd heard him.

"Why?" I asked, genuinely curious. Malfoy bit his lip, before looking directly at me. "Because he had the courage to do what I've dreamed of for a while."

I wanted to ask what it was so badly, but it seemed so personal, so I left it alone.

He cleared his throat. "He ran. He left his family. I..." He looked off, shaking his head. "I hate them. I hate my father's family" He said viciously. I just looked at him. Everyone knew about the Malfoys...And the Blacks.

"Me too." He looked at me with wide eyes. I clarified, "I sometimes hate my family too." I felt a little shy at my admission. I loved my family, with all my heart. But that didn't mean I had to always like them.

"But...Your families great! I mean, your parents and uncle are famous!" he said, shocked.

"But thats just it!" I burst out. "They're the Golden Trio! The Saviours!" I looked away bitterly.

"I get it. Thats kind of why I hate mine too." he said, but his words were heavy, like there was no 'but' in them, no exception to anyone it the statement.

Our converstation had lasted us a while, and it had started getting dark.

"We should head in", I said. He stood, scooping up a sleeping Abbey Road. Malfoy extended a hand to help me up, and I looked at it wearily before accepting it.

"You know, this doesn't mean were friends," I said as we walked side by side to the castle.

"Of course,Weasley. I wouldn't dream of it."


	12. Of Two Months and Revelations

**AN: **_Writers block sucks. Please forgive the two-month-time lapse in the story. I just couldn't write mundane, uneventful chapters anymore. And could you guys please suggest stories for me? I can't seem to find any good ones anymore :(_

_This is a tiny summary of the two months I refuse to write about. Think of it as a prolouge to the next chapter (I'm posting both today)._

_Enjoy!_

**Disclaimer: Je ne possède rien vous reconnaître. **

**Scorpius' POV:**

Two months had passed since Rose and my chat under the tree. Things we're good between us, now. I mean, we weren't on our way to becoming best friends, but our little 'heart-to-heart', as she jokingly refered to it as, had opened some new doors for us. We were bordering an actual, feasible friendship now. We talked mostly in Divination, since we were partners in that class. And by talking, I mean, we made fun of Trelawney and our classmates. Sometimes, we'd get so into our conversations that we'd loose track of what was happening in class. Trelawney usually flipped a shit at these times; I think Weasley and I were her new least favorite students. Al and Victrola knew Weasley and I were starting to lose the animostity between us, but if I told Al how I was really feeling on the inside, he'd kill me. Because he knew me better than anyone.

The closer Weasley and I got to friendship, the more I started to...fall for her. And I was falling hard. I'd never felt as strongly for any girl as I had Weasley, and that terrified me. In my life, I have no examples of a loving relationship to compare what was happening between Weasley and I too. My parents? What. A. Joke. I knew my father loved my mother, on some level, but he treated her just slightly better than my Grandfather Lucius treated my Grandmother. What I mean to say is, all the relationships I see around me are cold and unloving in my family. There's no laughter and smiles between anyone, not like I've seen at the various Weasley's and Mr. and Mrs. Potter's. I have no other view on love that isn't biologically linked to me except for useless and practically nonexistent.

And you know what sucks? I treat all my relationships the same way. I've treated every girlfriend I've had as a toy. Someone to use for my pleasure and then leave when it got boring. A part of me knows how wrong it is to treat girls that way, but none of them has ever protested. None of them have ever set me straight. None of the girlfriends I've had have ever stood up for themselves when I used them for nothing more than sex, so I've come to expect it from every girl thats shown interest in me. A part of me is starting to picture Weasley the same way.

And I hate myself for it.

**Rose's POV:**

In the two months since I cried by the lake and talked to Malfoy, I haven't fought with him once.

And I love it.

He's so insightful. I find myself having meaningful conversations with him, and enjoying the time I share with him. In Divination, we joke around and he makes me laugh until my ribs ache, but we also talk. About anything. Its amazing. I wish I'd known Malfoy as a friend instead of an enemy since the begining, but the way we've treated each other in the past has jaded me. The way everyone thinks about the two of us in the same instance, as rivals; as foes; as bickering, immature dunderheads, has jaded me, so that I'm guarded and apprehensive. I want so much to truly be friends with him.

And then theres the part of me that wants to be more than friends. How many times have I been sitting in class, as he talks to me, and just pictured kissing him? How many times have I just wondered what it would be like to feel his body against mine? How many times have I let my thoughts wander to secret places hidden in the castle, imagining me and Scorpius Malfoy wrapped in each others arms, hoping a relation of mine doesn't discover us?

Too many damn times to count, thats how many.

I hate that I can't talk to anyone about this. My friends wouldn't get it. They see him as the evil Ravenclaw Death Eater's incarnate. They see all the bad that had happened between us over the years first.

But it seems like so much good is coming from the new found friendship we have. For instance, Albus and I have finally started to hang out and talk like we used to. I'd forgotten how close we were in perconality before we started to drift away.

Sometimes, when Albus and I talk, I think about opening up to him about how much I am starting to like Malfoy. But whenever the words start to formulate in my head, I remember that he and Malfoy are a hell of a lot closer than he and I are, and fear keeps me from spilling everything.

But, some good does come from the talks I have with Albus. He lets things slip about Malfoy. Like some joke they shared or something funny that one of them did. And it lets me see just a little bit more into Malfoy than just from Divination.

Then, one day Albus mentioned that Malfoy was going to be staying with his family over Winter Break, and my insides jumped with excitement. Because I'd get to be seeng Malfoy even more.

I hated what just hearing his name or seeing him did to me. When he smiled at me in class, my heart seemed to beat faster. When we brushed past each other in the halls, I lost my breath. And his eyes... I loved those intense silver eyes of his.

I was falling for Malfoy. And even though I knew I shouldn't, it just felt so damn good not to worry about the opinions of others, even for a minute.

* * *

**AN: Please. Review and tell me how much you hate Malfoy and feel sorry for Rose. I'd love to hear you reactions st the latest insight into the minds of these characters :)**

**_Review. I triple dog dare you. _**


	13. Of Alliances and New Love

**AN: Sorry for the wait. I had planned to update this the day after the last chapter. BUT, when I finished typing this chapter (or rather, the first version) I went to save, and FanFic decided that I wasn't logged in. And since saving is something only people who are logged in can do, apparently, I lost over a thousand words of pure awesomeness. But since it was 11pm when that happened, I wasn't up to rewriting and posting at 1am. **

_*This chapter was totally inspired by remixes of 'Paparazzi' and 'Bad Romance', both by the amazing Lady Gaga.*_

_As a notice, this chapter is entirely in Scorpius' POV, just because I didn't feel right with Rose's POV and the situations in this one. I don't know why, exactly, but if a Rose's POV is wanted, I'll write it. But if no one asks, its only ever going to be Scorps POV. _

**Disclaimer: Ik weet niet wat je zelf te herkennen. **

**Scorpius' POV:**

"So, are you and Rose, like, dating yet?" Lily asked me, completely taking me by surprise. I had been at the Potter's since the night before, and it was only three days into winter holidays. I was currently in the kitchen, alone, with Lily. I had been making a (delicious) sandwich, when she scared the shit out of me with the aforementioned question. I spun around, scowling.

"What?" I asked. In my fright, I nearly dropped the mustard and I was far more concerned with the impending doom to the savory condiment than to Lily's question.

"Are. You. And. Rose. Date. Ing. ?" She asked me slowly, like I was stupid. I maturely stuck my tounge out at her before turning back to my sandwich.

"Obviously not, seeing as all of my anatomy is where it is supposed to be," I responded dryly. Lily snorted and hopped onto the counter next to my plate.

"That doesn't necessarily answer my question, you know," she said, stealing a slice of turkey from the package between us. I glanced up at her.

"What d'you mean?" I asked, not really wanting to hear her answer.

"Rack those Ravenclaw brains of yours, Scorp," Lily said, smirking. I rolled my eyes.

"Welllllll?" She said slowly, like she was waiting for me to dish some serious gossip. I mirrored her tone, "Wellllllll whhhhhhat?" I ended with a sneer.

She threw her arms up in exasperation. "Well! Are you two secretly sneaking around? Huh?" her brown eyes stared into mine like she was trying to pull scenes from my memory. It was a little uncomfortable to have my best mate's fourteen year old sister, whom I considered my own sister, staring at me like that and be in my personal space. I took a step back.

"No, we aren't. Sorry to disappoint." I grumbled. I guess my own disappointment seeped into my tone, because Lily smirked slyly as she leaned away.

"Oooooooh!" she drawled, "Do my ears detect a hint of bitterness there, Mr. Malfoy?" I huffed.

"You wouldn't get it. You're too young." I said, looking back at my sandwich.

Lily made a sound of indignation. "Am not!" she cried. I looked up at her again in blatant disbelief.

"Try me." She implored. I crossed my arms and leaned back against the counter.

"Well, I...I like her..." I said slowly. Lily made an impatient gesture with her hand, urging me to continue. I looked helplessly at her. "I don't know! Ok! I. Don't. Know! I want to date her..." I trailed off, fisting my hands in my hair and sliding down the counter to the floor, resting my elbows on my knees, my hands still in my hair. "I want her to be mine so much...Its just... She's... And I'm...I mean, I'm falling for her, but..."

"But what?" Mr. Potter said, entering the kitchen. My head snapped up in shock. I looked at Lily, who stared back, mouthing wordlessly. Mr. Potter walked over to the fridge and pulled it open, grabbing a drink. "But what, Scorpius?" I just looked blankly up at Mr. Potter. He smirked back at me. "It seems to me, " he started, pulling up a chair and flipping it backwards before sitting down, "That you really like my niece. And you seem like a decent guy to me. Of course, I'm going to be prejudiced against any boyfriend of Rose's, for Ron's sake, naturally." I smiled. So Mr. Potter was somewhat on my side. That made me feel a hell of a lot better, considering that since Al and Rose started hanging out again, everytime I brought her up romantically, he got this blank look on his face. It got so annoying that I just stopped mentioning her all together aroud him. Vic was no help either. She and Rose hated each other, so she was never really an ally to begin with.

"So. What do I do?" I asked them. I was still a little uneasy talking about this with anyone, but I trusted Lily to not tell Rose and I didn't think Mr. Potter would either.

I looked to Lily, who would be the best one for advice in All Things Feminine. She tapped her chin and looked up. I snorted. She smirked and picked up my sandwich, which I had forgotten about and took a huge bite, much to my horror.

"Well. You need to flirt with her more. Right now, you're concentrating on the whole 'We-used-to-hate-each-other-and-now-we're-sorta/kinda/alittle-friends' thing. You need to flirt more with her." I smiled in relief. I was an expert on how to charm the witches. I wouldn't have such an amazing track record with them if I didn't. Lily, guessing what I was thinking, set me straight.

"Oh, uh-uh" She chastised. I looked at her in confusion. "You can't pull the same crap with Rose as all of your one night stands." I had the grace to blush, not just because Mr. Potter was hearing about my reputation either. "If you want her to even consider you, you need to show her she's not just another girl. You have to mean it. If you really like her, you'll show her she means more to you than all those other skanks," At this remark, Mr. Potter cleared his throat in warning, but Lily was too riled up to head it. "She'll feel insecure; she'll compare herself to the girls before her and it'll ruin your relationship." I looked at the patterns in the marble floor of the kitchen, letting this sink in. Lily was right. It wasn't looking good for me.

"Will you help me?" I asked, directing my question at them both. Lily looked at me shrewdly. I glanced at Mr. Potter, who was staring at the floor with his brows furrowed. I was afraid Lily's speech had changed his view of me. He heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Well." he started, and my stomach sunk a bit.

Lily looked at her dad, and he looked back at her. It was like they were having a silent conversation. I felt like my hopes and dreams were in their hands.

Lily broke their stare doen first. She stared at me with narrowed eyes for what felt like an eternity before smiling and saying, "I'm in."

I smiled in relief before sobering up and facing Mr. Potter. He fixed me with an intense stare. I shrank back, instantly aware of how terrifying he looked. Even though his face was blank, he was one powerful ass motherfucker.

"If you hurt my neice, I won't contribute to the bodily harm, but I won't hold anyone back." I gulped at his words and nodded. Mr. Potter smiled at me and I let out a breath. "So, I guess I'm in, too."

* * *

In the days since I'd made the pact with Mr. Potter and Lily, things had gone great. I took Lily's advice and flirted more with Rose when the families got together. Well, we teased each other, and I took every chance to say something that made her blush and smile shyly. I mostly just complemented her sweetly and slyly. But Lily assured me it was good. When I told her about Divintation, she clapped and squealed shrilly (causing everyone to look over at us in alarm at the time) and had assured me that it was perfect and that we were farther along than she'd thought. I will admit, I'd never really considered the Divination conversations to be flirting, since a vast majority of my flirting with other girls had consisted of talking about sex and how hot the girl in question was. When I'd mentioned this, both Lily and Mr. Potter had slapped me upside the head.

Mr. Potter and Lily were great alliances to have in the whole orchestration. Every meal time, I never failed to notice how they both sneakily maneuverd the seating so that at every meal, Rose and I ended up next to each other. Everytime Rose would look guiltily up at me and I would smile sweetly back, but I'd catch Mr. Potter hiding his laughter in his drink and Lily would smile like the Cheshire Cat.

On Christmas Day, we all went to spend the day at the Burrow, after opening presents of course. My parents had sent me a nice, expensive, but heartless gift of books and clothes. I snorted when I'd opened them, but appreciated the thought my mother had put into them and the money my father had.

At the Burrow, all my familiy related problems were forgotten. On my first few Christmases were slightly awkward. Especially the first. They'd judgedme on my surname at first glance. But I'd made friends with Al's Uncles Charlie, George, and Bill, and his cousins Fred, Roxanne, and Victoire quickly. It had helped that my cousin Teddy had been there too. His grandmother and mine had gotten together a few times to try and reconcile (resulting in a rocky relationship) and my Grandmother had brought me along. I really like Aunt Andromeda. She was much kinder than my Grandmother had made her out to be.

We played Quidditch for a few hours before lunch, with me and Rose on a team every time.

After lunch, I'd spotted Rose walking alone out of the kitchen window. I excused my self from my conversation with George and Teddy and hastily darted up the path she was on to catch up.

"Weasley! Oi, Weasley!" I called. She spun around and furrowed her brows before stalking of towards a large oak on the edge of a small pond in a huff. I was shocked to say the least. I thought we were making huge leaps forward, but it felt like a entire mile back.

Rose sat down on the edge of the pond, sitting with her ankles crossed infront of her and ripping chunks of grass out violently around her.

"Weasley, whats the matter?" I asked, plopping down next to her. She looked down, her hair blocking her face.

"What are we doing, Malfoy?" She asked quietly. I looked at her obscured profile, confused.

"Wha-What do you mean?" I said softly. She turned her head and faced me, her long red hair whiping around her.

"I mean, " she hissed through clenched teeth. "What is there between us? Why have we suddenly stopped hating each other?"

"I... I don't -" I started but Rose cut me off with a humorless laugh.

"Don't even say you don't know. Don't lie to me Scorpius." Rose hissed. I was taken aback. It was the first time she had called me my name. She seemed to realize it to, for she blushed delicately and looked at the pond.

"I think," I said slowly, building up the courage to finish my sentence.

Rose turned to me again. I looked her in those damn beautiful blue eyes.

"I think it means that I'm in love with you, Rose Weasley," I whispered. Her eyes widened, and she let out a small gasp. I cursed myself at my audacity, but a part of me felt good at finally telling her.

"I... I... Malfoy..." She was a loss for words. I built up some more courage and reached forward, puting my fingers under her chin and guiding her face towards me again.

Rose's breathing hitched, but she didn't object. We leaned closer, and just as her lips softly brushed mine, she pulled back.

"Oh...I can't-" she broke off with a sob before leaping up and running back towards the house.

I didn't follow her. I didn't watch the girl of my dreams run from me. I sat there, staring ahead.

I threw myself backwards onto the grass, staring up at the sky. Anger built up inside my chest. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to scream.

So I did.

"WHY DO I SUCK AT LIFE?" I bellowed, surprising myself and some birds at the decible of the exclaimation.

"Well, mate, I think we both know the answer to that." I shot up and saw Al standing behind me, his eyebrow raised.

"Did you come out here to be an asshole, or moral support? Because the lines are really blurred, mate." I seethed sarcastically at him. Al laughed through his nose.

"A little bit of both, to be honest." He said, sitting down in the spot Rose had vacated.

"What Al? Going to bitch at me for makin Rose cry?" I asked lowly, not really caring much if it was true.

"No. But would you care to explain please? There are alot of pissed off gingers in that house." Al inqired. I groaned before relaying an abridged version of the last ten minutes to him.

"So, you proclaimed your love to my cousin, and she ran away?" he said. I died a bit inside at the reminder of my failure.

"What do I do?" I asked hopelessly. It seemed like I'd asked a lot of people that recently.

"Well, you can either go in there and set Rose straight, or you can go home now. I refuse to watch you two dance awkwardly around each other." he said bluntly.

I looked up at him. "And how would I go about setting her straight?" I asked.

Al grinned. "Well, let's pretend this isn't my cousin for a second. In that case, I'd tell you to screw everyone else and snog her sensless. But since this is my cousin, we're going to pretend I've gone temporarily unaware to whatever you choose to do."

I smirked back at Al. "You're the best mate a guy could have, you know?" I said.

"Yeah. Don't forget it." he said gruffly as he stood up and brushed the grass of his pants.

I got up too. We didn't talk as we walked back to the house. I was too busy formulating how I was going to get Rose alone and then what I would say.

"Uhhh, you go in first, mate." I said nervously as we reached the back garden. Through the window, I could see Rose surrounded by every member of her family. There was no way they all didn't know, seeing as there were still tear tracks on her face. I was steeling my self to walk through there and get my bags (and Floo Powder to get to the Manor) when Rose looked out the window at me.

We stared at each other, and it was just like that day in the library all those months ago. Nothing else mattered but her. I lost mky breath and any train of thought I had. Abruptly, Rose looked away and squeezed her eyes shut.

She couldn't even look at me. And that pissed me off.

I stormed through the garden and wrenched open the door. Everyone turned and gaped at me, but I paid them no mind.

"Rose, I can't believe you." I said, breathing heavily. My voice seemed to be magnified, since practically everyone was holding their breath. "I honestly can't fucking believe what just happened." I was to absorbed in making Rose understand me to really care that I was swearing infront of her entire family.

Rose looked at me, her expression blank, but with silent tears running down her face.

"I tell you I'm in love with you, and you run. We almost kiss, AND YOU RUN!" I was shouting now, but I was still to gone to care.

"What the hell kind of Gryffindor is that?" I asked. And I finally got the reaction I wanted from her. Questioning her House had struck a nerve and pissed her off. She stood up so fast her chair flipped. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were narrowed.

"You're an ass, Scorpius Malfoy." Rose hissed. I couldn't help it. I laughed.

"Me?" I said incredulusly. "I'm the one who finally came out and said what we've both been feeling for months! And don't pretend you've got no idea what I'm talking about, Weasley."

"No! I. Hate. You. I've hated you since first year!" she screeched, but I could see absolutely no conviction in her eyes.

"Oh, thats bullshit and you know it!" I screamed at her. She sneered. " We both know what all that 'hate' really was!"

"Oh, what're you trying to say, Malfoy? That I've secretly loved you since first year?" she screamed, throwing her arms up.

"No, but I have!" I shouted. I hadn't meant to. It just slipped out. It was too late now. so I plowed on. "I only let my self feel it when you molested me on the train!" There were alot of questionable murmurs at that.

Rose stared at me, looking like she wanted to cry again.

"So what happens next?" I asked. "Are you going to continue to pretend like you aren't in love with me too?" I took a step closer to Rose. She didn't move. She just stared. "Answer this, though. Just tell me the truth, Rose, and I swear, if its what you want, I'll never talk to you again." I said. Rose crossed her arms, and I took that as a sign of cooperation.

"Is is hard to be around me because you have the mad urge to kiss me? Does your heart beat so fast when you see me that it feels like your ribs are going to crack? Am I always in your thoughts? Does everything else disappear when you look at me? Do I make it hard for you to breathe? Are you in love with me too, Rose Weasley?" I whispered. At this point, I had confessed every thing in me that had been driving me insane since September. I didn't care that I had just poured my heart out to her infront of almost twenty members of her family. I wanted her honest answer; it was all that mattered to me.

Rose took a steadying breath and stared up at me.

"Yes." She whispered.

I smiled at her. Rose cleared her throat and looked at me.

"So what are you going to do now?" she whispered.

I smirked cockily at her. "This," I said before I kissed her.

It was a light, sweet kiss on the lips, but it was enough to reiterate everything I had just said to her.

When we broke apart, a glass shattered, awakening us from our blissful state. I turned and came face to face with an irate Ron Weasley.

* * *

_For H.D., because of that one lunch time that I promised you a long chapter. I hope I delivered on that promise._

_**Review please, my lovelies. I'll give you more fluffy marshmellowy goodness :)**_


	14. Of Angry Dads and International Alcohol

**AN: **_If you want an accurate portayal of who I basically based Victrola on, watch the movie Thirteen. The character 'Evie Zamora' was the inspiration for Vic. _

_Hahaha, so I totally don't drink, but its amazing what kinds of alcohol there are in the world. Google is magic._

_And, whoaaaaaaa! Two long chapters! I must love you guys._

**Disclaimer: Ní féidir liom aitheantas a thabhairt duit féin aon rud. And I don't own any of the international drinks. I'm not that creative. **

_**Scorpius' POV:**_

Ron Weasley hates me. With a firey, burning passion.

When Rose and I broke our kiss, Mr. Weasley was standing there, a shattered glass in hand, staring. He was breathing heavily and his teeth were barred at me. Admittedly, I wasn't as scared of him as I would have been if it was, say, Mr. Potter staring at me like that, but it was uncomfortable all the same.

"Get your hands off my daughter." Mr. Weasley hissed in a deadly whisper. I went to let go of Rose's hand, but she held on tight. I really thought it would have been wise to listen to him, but Rose had other plans.

"Daddy, please." Rose said calmly. I gulped and made eye contact with Mr. Potter. He shook his head slowly and looked away. I clenched my teeth. He wasn't going to help me. And I didn't blame him. I wouldn't even choose me over my best mate, after everything they'd been through, in this situation. I took a deep breath.

"Mr. Weasley, I-"

"Out. Get out!." Mr. Weasley bellowed at me. I felt the color leave my face. I let go of Rose's hand and turned to leave, not saying a word.

"Scorpius, stop." Mrs. Potter said. I turned around to face her. She looked away and addressed Mr. Weasley. "Ron, knock it off. This isn't your house and Scorpius is staying with us. Now, I understand why you'd be upset, but-"

"Oh no you don't Ginny!" Mr. Weasley rounded on her. "It's not your daughter that Malfoy's spawn was groping!"

Now, that pissed me off.

"I am not my father." I hissed through clenched teeth. I spun around, fast and strode into the living room.

"Scorp! Wait," Al called. I turned around.

"Get me out of here." I whispered, pleadingly. Al nodded and grabbed the small pot of Floo Powder from the mantle over the already lit fireplace and quickly dropped a pinch in. The flames turned a brilliant emerald green.

We could hear snippets of the arguement in the kitchen. "Yeah, its alright because its your kid Harry!" we heard Mr. Weasley yell. Al rolled his eyes.

"Go back to my place and start packing. I'll meet you there in a second. I'm going to tell my parents whats going on." Al said. I nodded and took some powder.

"Potter Estate!" I shouted and dropped the powder.

I landed, after my brief journey in the Floo Network, on the floor of the Potter's living room. I quickly bolted up the stairs to the room I shared with Al and started gathering the things off my bed and throwing them in the trunk. Once I was sufficiently packed, I searched around for my cat.

"Roadie!" I called, looking for my cat. I growled before leaving Al's room and dashing down the second floor landing. "Abbey! Get over here, you damn cat!"

I walked down stairs and briefly searched the kitchen before going into the living room again.

Al was there, his head in the fire place, finishing up a floo call. "Okay, see you in a bit." he was saying, before I heard him murmur, "Yeah. Love you, too." He crawled out of the fire place and brushed the soot of himself.

"Seen my cat?" I asked; Al didn't look at me, he just said, "She's playing with Lily's cat, under the dining room table."

I nodded even though he didn't see it and left the living room. I strode back through the kitchen and entered the conjoined dining room. Stooping down, I looked under the table, and sure enough, I found my little Abbey antagonizing Lily's ferocious Himalayan cat thing, Malificent. The thing was evil, hated everyone but Lily, and was so fucking ugly. Not to mention morbidly obese.

"Come over here," I grunted, reaching under the table and scooping Abbey Road up in one hand. She made some cat noises at me but I ignored her, instead exiting the Dining room and re-entering the kitchen. Al was there, getting a quick glass of pumpkin juice.

"I really fucked things over, didn't I?" I asked, not looking anywhere but at Abbey. I played with her paw to distract myself.

"Yep. That you did." he said bluntly. I groaned.

"So, I guess I'm going back to Hell's Manor?" I said dispondantly, using my name for my family home.

"Nah. I talked things over with my parents before coming here. We're going to Vic's house for the rest of break." he said. I looked up.

"What?" I was a little shocked. I'd been to Victrola's house only, like, three times in our entire friendship, and Al had even less than that. And the times I did go, I never stayed more than two nights.

"Yeah, I just Flooed her. Her parents are in Switzerland until after break ends, so she's all alone there. She said its fine that we stay over. But my parents don't know hers are out of town, so..." Al trailed off. I nodded in understanding.

"Lets go." Al said. I followed him into the Living Room and found our stuff already down stairs. I raised a brow at Al.

"The wards, you know. Simple Levitation Charm. What the Ministry doesn't know won't hurt 'em." he scoffed, grabbing his trunk and dragging it to the fire place.

"Slater Penthouse!" he shouted, throwing the powder down and disappearing in a burst of green flame. I got some more Floo Powder and dragged my trunk into the fire place. With my other hand, I stuffed Abbey securely in an inside pocket of my jacket.

"Slater Penthouse!" I called before being engulfed by the Floo once again.

Once my second harrowing floo experience of the day was over, I righted my self and quickly extracted Abbey from my coat. Setting her down on the white marble floors I looked up and saw Victrola standing before me.

"So," she said, quirking a dark brow. "Got your self in a bit of a dilema, didn't you?" she said mockingly. I rolled my eyes and pulled her into a quick hug.

We stepped out of our embrace. "Go put your crap in the third bedroom, on the right of the stairs." She said. I nodded and turned to ascend the short flight up the Slater's apartments second story. The penthouse was extremely pretentious in its decorating, thanks to Victrola's ex-French model of a mother. Her father was high up in the Ministry. All I really knew of her mom was that, she had been a wizarding model in France. In the penthouse, located in London, there was a lot of gold encrusted stuff. The floors had veins of gold in the snow-white marble, and the door knobbs were made of solid gold. I rolled my eyes at the fakeness of it all. Mrs. Slater was really... Extravagant. I'd only met her a few times. She was a tall, thin woman with light blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She had a thick French accent and when she spoke, she'd get her English mixed up. Mr. Slater was much warmer in personality. He was a quiet guy, with Victrola's dark brown hair and deep blue eyes.

I deposited my stuff in my assigned room and went back down stairs. Al and Vic were sharing a couch and she was giggling like mad about something, with her legs thrown across Al's lap. His hand had been on her thigh, but when I entered, I saw him hastily slide it to her knee. I raised an eyebrow before siting down on the other side of Al.

"Enjoying ourselves?" I said, pushing Vic's feet away to make more room for myself.

"Immensely." Victrola said, still laughing. She and Al looked at each other before chuckling and looking away.

"So, welcome to Maison de Slater," Vic said as she stood up and mimicked a French accent. "We 'ave ze best accomodations in London." She strut over to a door near the stairs and glass clinking together could be heard from the room. Victrola leaned against the door frame holding several bottles of alcohol.

"Would you like to go to Italy, France, Japan or any number of small islands in the Carribean?" She asked. Al and I both got up from the couch and darted into the room.

"Its my dad's 'study'," she said, "Which means its a room with a shit load of imported alcohol. He's gotta face my mum somehow." She leaned down and replaced several bottles in a wine rack that was built into the wall. I pulled out a bottle nearest to me. It was a bright green bottle of something called 'Midori', or a melon flavored liqueur from Japan. I slid it back in place and grabbed another. It was a black and red bottle called 'Tia Maria', which apparently was Jamacian coffee liqueur.

"Uh, Vic, got anything...not fruity or coffee flavored?" I called as I read a label for a bottle of Sambuca. Vic laughed and held up another bottle. "Chardonnay good?" she asked. I cringed and went back to reading labels.

"Why does your dad have violet-flavored liquor?" Al asked, laughing as he held up a purple bottle.

"Some of this is my moms, you know. The whiskeys and scotches are my dad's. And Creme de Violette is really good!" Vic said indignantly. Al opened the bottle and smelled it, cringing back and pretending to choke. He turned to me, holding the bottle out.

"I dare you."

I smirked and grabbed the bottle, taking a small sip. It was sweet, like really sweet. It wasn't bad, but it was far too dainty and feminine for my tastes.

I looked around at the bottles, looking for something familiar. It struck me as odd that I only saw a few elf made wines.

"These are Muggle drinks, aren't they?" I asked, picking up something in a green bottle shaped like a Tiki Warrior.

"Yeah. My parents travel a lot. Muggles have their faults, but alcoholic beverages are not one of them." She said. I saw Al shoot her a disapproving look, to which Vic shrugged.

I grabbed some Firewhiskey and a bottle of cinnamon vodka with gold flakes in it that I'd tried once with Al.

"C'mon." I said and led Al, who had a bottle of some dark red stuff, and Vic, who had her violet shit, out into the living room. I was about to set the bottles down when Vic kept walking.

"To the kitchen!" She shouted, tipping back her head and taking a huge swig of her purple shit. Al shrugged at me and followed. I sighed and walked behind Al to Victrola's huge, stainless steel kitchen. Vic jumped up on the counter and Al sat on a barstool by the island.

"So, what happened with Weasley? Why'd you need to escape?" Vic asked. I groaned, plopping down on a barstool and opening my firewhiskey.

"Don't remind me." I moaned, taking a huge gulp, and accepted the burn as punishment for my stupid audacity.

My two best friends got me shitfaced. I know that they didn't get nearly as drunk as me. By the time I had passed out, Victrola was only slightly tipsy and Al was buzzed, but normal.

When I woke up the next morning on the living room coffee table wearing my shirt upside down (no not inside out, _upside down_) I had a few questions. I was nursing a massive headache. Light was not helping. My throat hurt so bad I could hardly swallow. And the aftertaste of melon-blackberry-cinnamon-violet-and whatever the fuck flavor Firewhiskey is was revolting. I stumbled up the stairs, fully prepaired to punch Al in his manhood for what they did to me. When I got to the room with his shit in it, I found only an undisturbed bed. I searched every room until I got to Victrola's room.

Now, let me be clear. I love Victrola like a sister (maybe not as much as Lily, but she comes in a very close second) and Al is the brother I never got and would hate to have, if that makes any rational sense. So, to say that I was pissed at how wasted they got me was a semi-overstatement. I was angry, sure, but the situation was funny and I'd conspire against the both of them and do it to one of them in a heartbeat. Because I'm a great friend like that.

But their reasons for why they did it were both very coniving for a Slytherin and clever for a Ravenclaw. I salute them both.

Because it hit me, when I pushed open Victrola's bed room door, exactly why they did it, even in my hungover stupor.

Because when the sunlight streaming through the windows stopped assaulting me viciously, and I was able to think again, I found my friends.

Sound asleep. In Victrola's bed.

And their clothes were all over Victrola's bedroom floor.

* * *

**Review?**


	15. Of Flying Emotions and Secret Boyfriends

**AN: **_I'm glad I didn't lose any readers after that last chapter. I think I gained some. _

_I'm toning down the language usage. It's gotten pretty bad. But don't worry. I'm only cutting back the unnecessary swearing. All the important swearing will still be there. _

_You asked, so here's the next chapter, in Rose's POV. _

**Disclaimer: Io proprio niente ti riconosco.**

**Rose's POV:**

Scorpius spun around, fury in his storm colored eyes.

"I am not my father." He hissed at my dad before storming through the door and into the living room. Albus gave my dad a resentful look before following Scorpius.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak.

Scorpius Malfoy was in love with me.

My once enemy loved me.

And I think I loved him back.

Aunt Ginny and my dad were screaming at each other. Uncle Harry was trying to calm them both. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw my mum standing there. There was so much sympathy and something else in her eyes… something like… pity. My mother pitied me.

The tears came again and I threw Mum's hand off my shoulder and ran out the back door, pulling on my coat, scarf, and gloves as I went. Mum was calling me but I didn't stop. I ran to the shed and grabbed a broomstick, throwing my leg over it and pushing myself, hard, off the ground. The sun was burning my eyes, but I didn't care. I was practically screaming with pain and rage. The tears were blurring my vision. I hovered about twenty feet off the ground, just sitting on the broom crying. I leaned forward and rested my forehead, uncomfortably, on the handle. It was freezing out. It had started to snow now and the grass that had started to show was slowly being covered in a blanket of pure white.

"You know, this is really putting a damper on my last holiday as a Hogwarts student."

I looked up and my cousin, Roxanne, was sitting on a broom with her arms crossed.

"Roxie, I'm really not in the mood. Please, just scream at me and go." I said, sniffling and wiping the tears away.

Roxanne just raised a dark eyebrow and sneered at me.

"Rose, contrary to popular belief, I'm not up here to bitch you out." Roxanne said. I looked at her shocked.

"Roxy, what are you…?" I trailed off. I didn't need this. She was only making me feel worse.

Roxanne's eyes softened a bit. "I know I'm abrasive and demanding and have absolutely no sympathy towards anything even remotely romantic, but I honestly want to be sure that you're ok." She said, sighing sadly.

I looked back. Roxanne was the most stubborn girl I knew. She was a firm believer in tough love. She could be a huge bitch (most of the time. Everyone, including her, thought so) but if I had to be honest, I valued those qualities. I envied them. She had every guy drooling after her, yet she never gave into anyone. She never gave into peer pressure and yet, never fought with anyone. I wished I could be that emotionless. I wished I could look at Scorpius and feel nothing, like Roxie could with guys. I wouldn't feel this bad if that was the way I was. My father wouldn't hate me.

"I'm not ok. My dad hates me." I said miserably.

Roxanne tossed her long hair over her shoulder impatiently. "He does not hate you." She responded, any trace of humility gone. I sighed.

"Look, Rose. Let's end this pity party here and now. You're going to put on a happy face, get your butt back in there, and pretend you didn't just make out with your father's enemy's son in front the entire family. Got it?" she said tersely. It was so cold this high up that my tears had frozen to my lashes and Roxanne's and my breath was coming out in thick white steam when we talked.

"Not likely. I'm not the Emotionless Wonder like you." I groaned. Roxanne's jaw clenched for a second and she didn't meet my eyes.

"Lucky you," I thought I heard her whisper. I'm sure I was wrong.

"Thanks, Roxie. You were a big help." I smiled at her. Roxanne smiled back, but the smile didn't reach her eyes completely.

I turned the broom around and flew a bit before heading back to the house. It felt amazing to be able to clear my head by flying. I felt the most at home on a broom. That's why Freddie's practices didn't bother me like they did the rest of the team. I was just as Quidditch obsessed as he was. Under Freddie's captaincy, we were unstoppable. Our last game was in November against Slytherin. We slaughtered them. Our main completion was Ravenclaw. Albus and Scorpius both played. Albus was a Chaser and Scorpius was their Seeker, like me. I will grudgingly admit that Scorpius may be as good a Seeker as me.

Thinking about Quidditch made me think of the fact that our next game as against Ravenclaw.

I groaned. I could only imagine the speech Freddie was going to give me at the next practice.

I finally reached the ground when the sun started to set. The snow crunched under my feet as I walked to the shed.

When I got in the house, Uncle Percy and his family were gone, as well as Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Dominique, and Louis. Victoire was still there with Teddy. James was in deep conversation with Lily and Freddie. I didn't see Roxanne. When I entered, everyone had looked up briefly before going back to whatever they were doing, which was mostly just talking. I could hear Grandma in the kitchen cleaning and hear Mum and Aunt Angelina's voices.

"Well Rosie, you sure know how to liven up the holidays, don't you?" Uncle George said, laughing with Uncle Harry. "I don't think we've had an interruption like that since… what, Scrimgeour and the food attack on Percy?" Uncle George got that sad and wistful expression we all knew meant that he was remembering something about or involved Uncle Fred. Thankfully Mum walked in and diverted the situation.

"Come Rose, Hugo. Say your goodbyes."

There were hugs and kisses all around before I followed Hugo into the fireplace.

When I got home, I stalked past my father and into my room. I looked at my bed, not feeling tired at all. It was only seven and it was just now fully dark. I instead went to my window. Pushing the filmy white curtains aside, I quietly slid it open and looked at the tree that was growing right up against the house outside my window. It was a huge oak with strong branches, perfect for climbing. Ever since I was little, I refused to let my dad cut back the branches that grew near my window. He obliged, only putting his foot down when they started doing visible damage to the house. So, whenever life got too tough, I climbed out my window and into the tree to think. I checked for snow on the branches I needed. There was a bit of ice on the smaller twigs, but the snow in the thick branches wasn't too bad.

I grabbed an old blanket, throwing it over my shoulder and stuck a flashlight in the big pocket on the front of my sweatshirt. Throwing a leg over the sill I climbed carefully onto the thick branch that grew right below the window. Once I was on the branch securely I pulled the curtains closed and quietly slid the window down so that only a fingertip sized crack was open. That way, if my parents went into my room, they'd think that I snuck out through the back door or something and wouldn't figure out my secret escape route. I climbed a few branches to my favorite spot in the tree. It was a spot near the middle of the tree, close to the trunk. A huge branch, as thick as I was around the middle, grew at a weird angle, making a comfortable spot where I could lean against the trunk and stare at the horizon. Poetic, right? I always lost time when I sat out there. I was especially bad about it in the summer. Sometimes, I'd get back inside and discover it was one a.m.

"Rose?" I heard a voice call from outside my door. I had to scrabble back to the window.

I was halfway inside my room when the person on the other side of the door started to turn the handle.

"Hey! I'm getting dressed! Hold on!" I all but screamed as I rushed to find a reason for them not to come in.

Once I was fully inside, I kicked off my shoes and socks, threw my sweatshirt off and shook the snow from my hair. Throwing a bathrobe around me and tightening it to cover my clothes, I opened my door to see Mum on the other side.

Mum gave me a scrutinizing look before saying, "I just wanted to say goodnight and Happy Christmas."

I smiled, hoping to get her to stop looking at me that way and said "Night! Love you, Mum."

Mum nodded, still scanning me with her eyes before turning and leaving. I shut the door and walked over to my bed, throwing myself on it and exhaling loudly.

The next morning I woke up to two voices, conversing about the best way to wake me up.

"Sadie, we can't jump on her! She's violent in the mornings! Look at all the stuff she could throw!" I heard Daphne whisper to Sadie and then came Sadie's sigh.

"Alright, how about we throw things at her? That way we won't be in her line of punching fire." Sadie whispered. I opened one eye and saw Daphne throw her hands up and say, "Yes, let's give her more ammunition!"

"Why don't you stop talking and let me sleep?" I said, rolling over and pulling the blankets over my head.

Then the thought struck me. "Wait, why are you guys here?" I asked, sitting up.

"Good morning to you too." Daphne said sarcastically. Sadie giggled before jumping onto the foot of my bed.

"We owled last night asking if we could come over and spend break here, and your Mum answered back saying yes, you'd need cheering up." Sadie said brightly.

"So," Daphne started, her eyes flicking between Sadie and me. "What happened?"

I inhaled heavily and flopped back against my pillows. "You might want to get comfortable. It's quite a story."

So I told them. My liking Scorpius had been a subject we hadn't breeched since the day Porter had yelled at me and Masen stopped being my friend. I hadn't spoken to Masen, save for a cold glance from him on occasion and a polite but dead sentence here or there when necessary. I missed him so much. Whenever Masen was brought up in conversation, Daphne's blue eyes hardened and Sadie just looked sad. Daphne felt that since I was no longer Masen's friend, she didn't have to be either. She hated him now for "abandoning" me, as she put it. I knew Sadie was still close with him, and that was fine with me. I wasn't about to tell her who to be friends with.

When I finished the story, Sadie looked awestruck and Daphne looked contemplative.

"I knew it! I knew you two would end up together! Oh yay!" Sadie squealed girily.

"Shut it! Don't let my dad hear you! And we aren't together!" I said hastily. Sadie rolled her eyes and sat back down.

"Have you and Malfoy even spoke since the kiss?" Daphne asked. I looked at her.

"Well, it was only yesterday, so no." I said bitterly.

Sadie looked upset at this. "Well, you need to talk to him before break is over. You can't wait until the train ride or God forbid school," Sadie shuddered delicately at this, like it was some horrid thing. Daphne and I just shared an eye roll at Sadie's antics.

"I'll try, I guess." I assured her. This seemed to be enough for her, for she then started going on about some famous Quidditch player's recent scandal with a married model. I mostly tuned her out, thinking of ways to contact Malfoy. I hoped he'd make the first move, but something in me didn't see that happening.

The days passed and my relationship with my father was strained to breaking. He didn't glare at me coldly whenever he saw me, but our conversations were brisk and emotionless.

On the last Friday before break ended (as we'd be going back to school that Sunday) I had a realization. My father was the second of the important people in my life I'd lost because of Scorpius. Was this a new trend? Freddie was showing signs of disapproval when he'd spoken to me privately one day. He'd warned me that whatever happened with Scorpius, I'd be off the team if it interfered with Quidditch. I started to wonder if Scorpius was even worth it. I was thinking about this as I was laying in bed that Friday night while Sadie and Daphne were in cots in my room talking.

"Rosie, don't you agree that Daph would-" Sadie was cut off by a loud tap on my window. We all looked at each other before we ran over and opened it.

Looking through the branches of the tree, we spotted someone in the yard, preparing to throw another pebble.

"Malfoy?" Daphne gasped in disbelief. I was too shocked to speak.

"OhmyGod! That's sooo sweet!" Sadie was bouncing like an excited puppy.

"Oi! Weasley! I want to talk to you!" Malfoy whispered loudly up to us.

"Wait, Malfoy, what…?" I wasn't registering what he was saying.

"Come down here! Please!" He called quietly up. My friends and I pulled our heads in and just stared at each other.

"You have to go." Daphne said. Sadie nodded vehemently.

"Okay." I started pulling on jeans and a hoodie when I stopped and looked at them.

"My dad… What if…" I started.

"We'll cover for you." Sadie said. I smiled and pulled on my boots before heading back to the window. I threw my leg out and looked back.

"You guys are the greatest." I said before climbing out into the tree. I made my way to the lowest branch I could find and jumped the rest of the way, the snow crunching loudly on impact. Scorpius and I looked at each other, waiting to get caught. When nothing happened I exhaled and smiled at him.

"You're here." I said. Scorpius just gave me a heart stopping smile and said, "Of course I am. I couldn't let the holidays end without talking to you."

We started walking to my backyard side by side, our shoulders brushing occasionally. We didn't speak until we reached the hammock my dad had put up three summers ago. We sat down on it, our legs hanging over the side. It gave us a perfect view of the back windows and doors of the house and no one could see us from inside.

"So. Where do we stand." He asked. I looked up at his profile in confusion.

"What d'you mean?" I asked. Scorpius laid back, staring at the sky.

"Do you… Want to be together, or…" he swallowed nervously. I breathed out, watching my breath turn to steam.

"I don't think we can be. My dad's asked the Weasley mafia to keep an eye on us." It was true. Sadie overheard my dad asking Freddie, Roxanne, Hugo, Dominique, Louis, and Molly, Uncle Percy's daughter, to make sure Scorpius and I weren't together. Lily had refused, point-blank to do it. Dad hadn't bothered to ask Albus.

Scorpius sat up and put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Is is bad that I'm a little scared and uncaring at the same time? I think I'd be okay if it had to stay a secret, because that way we could be blissfully happy for a while until reality bites us in the ass." he said with a weak chuckle.

I took his hand in mine, wanting to reassure him, but not being able to find the right words. Scorpius sat up straight and took both my hand.

"God, you're freezing." He slid his jacket off, against my protests, and handed it to me. I stared at it before putting on a show of reluctantly taking it and sliding it on, putting my hands in the pockets. I smiled, but felt like I should break the crushing silence that had descended.

"So. Where does that leave us?" I asked basically reiterating his earlier statement. He was looking at me so intensely that I blushed, thanking the darkness that hid it.

"Well. I really want to date you, Weasley. Even secretly." He whispered, calling me by my surname. I smiled.

"I really want to secretly date you, too, Malfoy." I whispered back. We started to lean in when Scorpius's watch chimed. He groaned, pulling away, but reluctantly, to my satisfaction.

"I've got to go. Mr. and Mrs. Potter are bound to notice I'm gone by now." He said, running a hand through his hair.

He stood, offering me a hand. "May I walk you back to your tree?" he asked, smirking. I took it and stood up. He didn't let my hand go, and I wasn't about to either.

"How'd you get here?" I asked, honestly confused. He chuckled and twisted our fingers together.

"I drove." He said. I raised my eyebrows. I knew Albus had gotten his license recently. It really shouldn't have surprised me that Scorpius would have gotten his, too.

"I don't have my license. My parents won't sign for it." He said bitterly. "But I have my learner's license. What my parents don't know won't hurt them." He added brightly. I decided not to question it further.

"So, Rose. Is that a yes?" Scorpius asked, turning to face me. I knew what he meant, but I decided to mess around with him a bit.

"Yes to what?" I asked with feigned innocence. Scorpius rolled his eyes, smiling.

"You want me to say it, don't you?" he asked. I just bit my lip and looked at him, trying not to laugh.

"Rose, will you be my secret girlfriend?" Scorpius asked dramatically. I started laughing.

"Yes." I said between laughs. He smiled and gave me a triumphant look.

We heard a honk in the distance. Scorpius groaned and let go of my hand.

"Al," he growled under his breath. I took a step backwards towards the tree.

"Well, see you on the train I guess." I tried to keep my voice light, but I found that I really didn't want him to go.

Scorpius narrowed his eyes at me before grinning. He closed the distance between us in three strides. We were so close now, I could see the silver in his eyes.

He took one of his hands in mine while the other brushed my hair from my face, twisting in my hair. Scorpius leaned down and kissed me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

We didn't break apart until the car honked again. We were breathing heavily, now. This time, I groaned at the feel of his lips no longer on mine. Scorpius chuckled and leaned in again, whispering, "Goodnight, Weasley," against my lips. I smiled and kissed him again before whispering, "Goodnight, Malfoy."

We fully stepped out of our embrace. I waited until he had left, silently closing the gate behind him, before sliding down the trunk of the oak.

A few days ago, I had wished I was emotionless like Roxanne. An hour ago, I'd wished I hadn't gotten into this mess. Now, I was glad neither of those things were true. Because with the way I felt with Scorpius, it made everything worth it. For once, I wanted to be happy, even if I couldn't be happy and with my boyfriend at the same time.

It would work. I could secretly date Scorpius and let my family think the whole Christmas Day thing was behind us. It had to work.

But part of me felt like everything was going to come crashing down.

* * *

**AN: Just for reference:**

**Lily, Hugo: 4****th**** year.  
Dominique, Roxanne, Freddie: 7****th**** year.  
Molly: 2****nd**** year  
Louis: 5****th**** year  
James: graduated the year before.**

**Review, lovelies, and you shall recieve :)  
**


	16. Of Relationships Broken and Fixed

**Disclaimer: No infringement intended, I swear. **

**Rose POV:**

It was the first Monday after break and classes were starting up again. I was surprised to find myself scanning my schedule for every class I shared with the Ravenclaws. I was dying to see Scorpius again, even if it was academically related.

Now that my friends knew (and sort of even approved) of my relationship, I felt like a small weight was lifted from me. I had support. I had never truly appreciated Sadie until that night Scorpius had visited me at my house. When I got back inside, after the bombardment of questions, of course, Sadie had given me heartfelt blessings on my new relationship. Daphne was really skeptical though. She wasn't as quick to believe in Scorpius as Sadie. It just really made me mad that she wasn't completely supportive of me. Her words, against my wishes, had implanted themselves in my mind or something. It had made me amazingly resentful of Daphne's pessimism when my first thought when I had seen Scorpius in passing and we shared secret smiles was, in Daphne's self-rightious voice_, 'I know guys like him, Rosie. They don't change for anyone. No matter who they are or who you are._' Why couldn't she just be happy for me, for once? She was rarely on my side, unless it was something she could be angry at. I love Daphne, I really do, but after almost five years of her bitter, sarcastic, arrogant, and self absorbed anger, I was really getting pissed. I deserved to finally be happy, damn it, and she had no right to drag me down on her eternal path of self loathing and loneliness.

I had told Sadie all of this, when just she and I found a deserted spot in the library and pretended to study last night. Sadie had gh. iven me a really weird look, with her mouth pressed tight as if she was dying to say something and refused to. I hadn't pressed the matter, attributing it to me reading her body language wrong. She was acting completely normal now, laughing with some of Freddie's friends. We had taken to sitting near the Quidditch team now, seeing as our old group of friends were almost all on Masen's side, even though they had next to no clue why we were even fighting. I glanced up the table their way and looked for Masen, like I almost always did. I guess I just missed him, not that I'd admit it or anything. I wanted him to look at me and make a funny face to try and crack each other up and for everything to be ok again. He never looked though. I was about to turn and join Sadie's conversation when I spotted Daphne entering the Great Hall. With Masen. I was a little shocked, to say the least. Up until yesterday, it had seemed like she'd loathed his existence. Sadie was the one who was still friends with him. But there Daph was, laughing with Masen and strolling up the Gryffindor table. I took a deep breath, anticipating her explanation when she sat down and the cold glare I was sure to get from Masen as he stalked past to his friends. But what happened shocked me a bit more for a Monday morning.

Daphne and Masen walked right past me, turing briefly my way to call a cheery, "Hey Sadie," before continuing down to Masen's usual group. I was aware that I was staring blatantly at them, but I honestly didn't care. I watched as Masen and Daphne sat down next to each other, across from Decklin and Porter. Porter leaned across to Daphne and said something to her, to which she smirked nastily and tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Then, to my great shock, she turned and looked down the table at me. I guess Porter had told her I was staring or something; it didn't matter. I don't know what I was expecting from her, but it sure as hell wasn't the hurt and angry stare that she gave me. I was so unnerved by these proceedings that I lost it and grabbed Sadie roughly by the forearm and dragged her bodily from the Great Hall.

"Ouch, Rose!" she screeched when I let go. "That's going to bruise, you know," she added as she rubbed the area that I'd clenched in a vice-like grip.

"Why does Daphne hate me? What did Masen tell her? What happened?" I all but screamed at her as we stood in the rather empty Entrance Hall. Sadie's hand that was still massaging her wrist slowed considerably and she avoided my gaze, her green eyes flicking to the ground.

"Sadie, what aren't you telling me? What's up with Daphne?" I asked. When I finished my laments, Sadie turned her gaze directly to me.

"Well, it could have something to do with what Masen overheard you saying about her," she said with a slight edge to her voice. She dropped her wrist and put her hand on her hip, easing into what I considered her 'verbal beating pose'. She held her head high and stared at me with emotionless eyes. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"What did he over hear?" I asked, already pretty sure of the answer. Sadie rolled her eyes upward and exhaled sharply through her nose.

"Just you saying that Daph's been nothing but unsupportive of you, is self centered, and is going to end up all alone," Sadie retorted briskly. I opened my mouth to state the truth to all that but Sadie held up a hand to silence me.

"Save it. I don't want to hear your hypocracy, Rose. Sure, Daph can be a bit... tough, but you had no right to say half the crap you said about her last night. She's done nothing but supported you throughout this whole fight with Masen, and the one time she disagrees with your relationship, you talk shit about her. Look at you, Rose," Sadie took a step closer, both hands on her hips and staring directly into my eyes with expressionless green ones. I was slightly unnerved, to say the least. Sadie was usually so sweet and bubbly and boy crazy.I took a step back and shrank under the intensity of her gaze.

"Look at you," she repeated, "You have no idea how much of a hypocrite you are. You say Daph's going to end up alone?" She laughed humorlessly. "Meanwhile you've destroyed almost every meaningful relationship in your life all for a boy that up until four months or so ago you hated. And don't get me started on how much you've changed," Sadie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Everytime you get a boyfriend, you conform yourself to them in some way. Before, it was a bit annoying, but with Malfoy it's down right pissing me off. You've started acting all bitchy and secretive and are taking out all of your anger at the fact that no one accepts your relationship on your friends. You lost Masen because you hid things from us. You lost Daphne because you, in a fit of self-centered rage, said completely bitchy things about her behind her back," Sadie paused, breathing deeply. She huffed and looked at me with somber eyes.

"Grow up, Rose. Before you finally lose me too. Because right now, I want almost nothing to do with you," she finished in a low voice before turning and striding back into the Great Hall, leaving me feeling like the pathetic piece of crap I was.

* * *

Charms was my last class of the day. It was the O.W.L. level class, meaning it was combined with the other houses. When I entered the room, Scorpius was sitting in his usual spot. He smiled expectantly at me and I felt sick to my stomach. Sadie's talk had left me feeling guilty, angry, and insecure about my relationship with Scorpius. It felt as if we were going far too fast. I wanted to take a step back and regain my friendships before I dove in to a potentially unstable relationship. I stalked to a back row and threw my stuff in a random seat. I slouched low in my chair, hoping to avoid Scorpius' hurt gaze.

"Something up in wonderland?" someone asked from the seat next to me. I jumped and saw Albus as he sat down in the chair next to mine. He made himself comfortable before turning and looking at me expectantly.

"No," I grumbled. Albus laughed. I shot him a reproachful glare and rested my head on my crossed arms on my desk.

"C'mon, Rose. You can tell me, you know," Albus said softly. I turned my face towards him, feeling the tears forming but doing nothing to staunch their flow. And for the next thirty minutes of class, I poured my heart out to my cousin. It was like old times again, like when we were little and would crawl under the covers and make a fort and talk for hours. Albus just let me get it all off my chest, only interupting to tell me when the Professor was looking. When I'd finally finished my story, Albus didn't speak for a bit. We were practicing silent Summoning Charms, so there was much movement and distraction in our classmates. Albus finally took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I know a thing or two about secret relationships, believe me, I do. They're extremely hard to maintain. Believe me Rose, listen to what your gut is telling you. It's fun and romantic in the begining, but that wears off quickly. Then it gets to the point where you run out of things to do and it all becomes so boring and mundane," Albus seemed as if he'd been dying to get this of his chest for sometime. I listened as closely as he had to me.

"The thing is, Rose, that there isn't much to a secret relationship as you and Scorp seemed to have thought. You both have this idealic Romeo and Juliet situation in your minds, but it's all a fantasy," I opened my mouth to protest. Albus gave me a shrewd look.

"Spare me, Rose. You both seem to think that you guys are going to be secretly running off to chat and act all lovey-dovey," he said, almost mockingly. "It's far from that. What I'm trying to say is, secretly going on dates is fun for like, a week. Then you both get bored and move on to secretly snogging in risky places. That lasts for about another two weeks. Then it heats up, because you move on to the month of varying sexual exploits in even riskier places, meaning different 'jobs', if you will, as well as the, ah, _tamer, _I guess, of sexual acts. That's before the two months of full on sex. Then those months pass and you've run out of things to do. Now you're both kind of bored with the relationship but aren't willing to admit it," Albus was clenching his jaw angrily.

"How do you know so much about this?" I whispered, horrified with the undeniable logic of this assesment.

"I am going to tell you something, but remember, I am only telling this to you because it pertains to my advice on your situation," he said seriously. I nodded and he added, "You can't tell a soul what I am going to tell you." I nodded once more and Albus looked away.

"I've, uh, I've been..." Albus trailed off, looking away. I put my hand on his arm, and he turned back to face forward.

"I've been 'secretly dating' Victrola for about five months now," Albus murmured. I gasped and choked on my own spit in shock.

"Victrola _Slater_?" I whispered harshly. Albus glared at me.

"How many other Victrola's go to this school?" he asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"Why didn't you say something?" I asked. He laughed bitterly.

"Because that'd gone over well at Christmas dinner; "Hey, Mum, Dad, various Gryffindor relatives, guess what, I'm fucking my Slytherin best friend whom you all already hate without knowing"," he sneered, "Yeah. Grandmum would've loved that."

"Well maybe 'fucking' wouldn't be a wise choice of word," I added. Albus cracked a smile at that.

"So what's your advice, Mr. Know-It-All Ravenclaw?" I asked, desperate to hear it.

"I'd say," he started, avoiding my eyes. "Concentrate on your friends first. Get them back, because at the end of the day, they're more important right now. I'd suggest also taking it slow with Scorp. You guys should've started off by becoming better friends before diving into a relationship. I mean, you hardly know each other."

I hated how right Albus was.

"Ok. How do you think he'll take it?" I asked, glancing over at Scorpius' handsome profile and feeling my heart break at the knowledge of what I had to do.

"He'll be hurt, but he'll understand." Albus said. The bell rang, signalling the end of the day. I took a deep breath and scooped up my stuff, steeling myself for what I was about to do.

* * *

My tears had dried and I was making my way to the Great Hall for diner. I'd dropped off my bag after the hour long talk I'd had with Scorpius. I'd explained everything to him and he'd understood, but we were both visibly heartbroken by the recent turn of events in our relationship.

After explaining everything to him, he'd agreed that Albus's idea of taking it slow was a good idea. He agreed that by broken friendships were important to mend before we could even consider really commiting ourselves.

When I walked into the Hall, I avoided looking for Scorpius at all costs. It'd only result in tears for me. I scanned the Gryffindor table for Sadie and felt my stomach drop. She was seated with Daphne, Masen, and Porter, as well as all of their other friends. I hastily wiped my cheeks and held my chin high as I walked purposefully down the table before sitting myself next to Sadie and across from Daph and Masen.

"Hey," I said to Sadie, wincing when my voice cracked, giving away the fact that I'd been crying. Sadie glanced at me in alarm.

"You ok?" she whispered. I smiled.

"I'm fine. I just had to do something really hard. But it was worth it," I turned my attention to Masen and Daphne.

"Daph, I am so sorry," My voice got thick as I spoke but I swallowed and pushed on.

"I was upset and angry at myself, but that was no excuse for how mean I was. Please say you'll forgive me. I never meant those things I said." I looked at her. Daphne looked stonily back at me and I was about to admit defeat when she sighed and glanced upward.

"It really hurt to know that you'd said those things, Rose," Daphne said.

"I know, I know," I groaned, "I'm so sorry."

Daphne bit her lip and nodded. "I know. I forgive you." I smiled at her and she gave me her usual smirk.

"Masen," I started, adressing him for the first time in months. Masen sneered bitterly and shook his head.

"No apology is going to change my mind about you dating him," he retorted angrily. I kind of felt like it was never his place to be pissed at me over my choice of boyfriend, but I missed him too much to cause another fight.

"I know. I broke it off." They all looked at me with wide, startled eyes.

I looked at my empty plate. Masen exhaled slowly. "Alright, Rosie. I forgive you." I rolled my eyes, but he couldn't see.

I looked up and pulled some food towards me. After a few bites I clarified my current situation with Scorpius.

"We're still friends, but that's it."

_For now,_ I added in my head.

After dinner, we entered the common room and saw Freddie talking to several members of the Quidditch team.

"Oh, Rose, good. Listen, Emerson dropped off the team, so were going to have tryouts Saturday for a new Beater. Be on the pitch, ten a.m. sharp, got it?" Freddie said briskly. I nodded smiling. It was funny to see my cousin, who was one of the funniest and least serious people I knew in 'Captain mode'. He grinned at me before ruffling my hair (to my annoyance) and stalked off, presumably to alert more team members.

"Ooh, new blood. That should be good, right?" Masen asked, plopping into an armchair. I sat down in one also. "Yeah, Emerson was strong but his aim sucked and he just wasn't a good Beater." I said, shrugging.

"But he was huge! I mean his bicep is like, a big as my head." Sadie said. I looked at her and chuckled.

"Being able to hit hard is ok, but Emerson was so bad he nearly almost hit one of us." I yawned, standing. "No, a good Beater needs precision and aim." I added.

"Night." I called over my shoulder, heading up the stairs to bed.

* * *

**AN: Lameish ending, I know, but in the next few chapters it'll be important. **

******Long wait, I know. I was trying to fully finish planning this story. I've got all my major plot points covered, but since I prefer to write and post the first thing I finish, there is really no point to me really planning each chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed :) Your love and acceptance of this story keeps me writing. I hope I can make you all fall in love with this again as it continues. I promise to try harder to update more often.**

**Review, lovelies!**


	17. Of Sadie and Scorpius

**Disclaimer: I wish. I don't receive.**

**SPOV**:

So I found the love of my life and lost her the very next day.

That must be a record or something.

It's been a day since Rose called off our secret romance. I understand completely why she did it, but that doesn't mean I enjoy or necessarily agree with it.

All I truly have to say about this whole situation can be summed up in four words: her friends are dicks.

But the biggest dick of all: Porter Thomas... I mean that in the way that I hate his very existence, not as an innuendo or anything...God, that's irrelevant.

I have never loathed a person more than I loathe Porter Thomas. Even his last name proves how dickish he is. I mean, Thom-Ass...I'm so pathetic.

Rose had explained the whole situation to me. At the time, I was understandably pissed. She'd started from the day we'd spoken under the tree to the class period before she cornered me. I honestly couldn't believe her 'friends' had abandoned her like that. Al was a bit put off about me dating his cousin, but he got over it and was pretty supportive. But the impression I got from what Rose had told me was that, based off of my name and what it stood for, her friends had hated what we had. Well, Clark and Draven had. Her friend Sadie apparently was pretty chill.

But the fact that they had alienated her pissed me off. I couldn't believe they'd be so shallow. She would talk about them sometimes and her whole face would light up. It was one of the things I liked most about her. You could tell she really loved her friends. But because of me, they'd left her.

Even though Rose would be pissed if she found out, I made up my mind to corner Sadie and talk to her. We both had Muggle Studies together, so two days after Rose and I broke up, I strode into class and made a beeline to Sadie's desk. There was a Hufflepuff girl sitting next to her and they were chatting and giggling in that way only girls could. I stood behind the Hufflepuff and cleared my throat. Sadie and the girl turned.

"Hey, could I have that seat for today's class?" I asked the Hufflepuff. She looked from me to Sadie with a bewildered expression. I could tell the poor girl was terrified of me, so I decided to be as nice as possible.

"Please? It's important," I added. Sadie raised her eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Uh, sure, I-uh-guess," the girl stammered, scooping up her things and scurrying away. I sat down and made my self comfortable before turning to Sadie.

"So, Sadie," I began. She laughed lightly.

"We're on a first name basis now, are we?" She smirked. I smiled back, grateful that she wasn't being bitter and hateful to me. She was actually teasing me.

"Is that ok?" I asked, sincerely wanting to know. Sadie smiled, nodding. "It's fine, Scorpius," she said, stressing my first name a bit. Class was beginning and Professor Sykes was at the head of the room, talking about the Church of England or something.

"What was so important that you had to scare Melissa off?" Sadie asked, pretending to take notes on some king or something. I sighed.

"I know your friends are pissed at Rose because of me," I murmured. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sadie quirk an eyebrow.

"Oh?" she said. I took a deep breath.

"Yes. And I feel really bad about that, like it's some how my fault," I said. Sadie laughed through her nose.

"Well, it is your fault," she whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"How," I whispered back. She was about to answer when Professor Sykes strode over and looked angrily down his nose at us.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Anveray, is there anything you'd like to add?" He drawled at us. Sadie shook her head 'no' and I just stared resolutely back. Sykes huffed and glared at us before turning to look directly at me.

"Perhaps you would enjoy reading the third paragraph on page 175, Mr. Malfoy?" he arched his thick eyebrow at me. I snatched Sadie's book from infront of her, seeing as mine was in my bag, and read.

"_King Henry VIII had six wives, three of which bore him children. The wives, in chronological order were: Catherine of Aragon, who gave birth to daughter Mary, and was Queen until their divorce and England's subsequant Reformation; Anne Boleyn, who gave birth to Elizabeth and was executed (beheaded) on false charges of adultery; Jane Seymour, who died shortly shortly after giving birth to Henry's only male heir, Edward, due to complications; Anne of Cleves, who's marrige to the King was mutually annulled; Katherine Howard, who was also beheaded for adultry; and Catherine Parr, who was widowed after Henry's death."_

I looked up at Sykes after I finished. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Now Catherine of Aragon was originally from Spain..." And I stopped listening after that. Although the ancient Muggle King's six wives were interesting (and rather pointless to learn about in a magic school), Sykes' monotone voice was dull and irritating. I turned to Sadie again.

"So how was it my fault?" I whispered. Sadie rolled her eyes and looked at me.

"Well, you've never exactly been warm to us, and you're also friends with Victrola Slater," she murmured back, spitting Vic's name with venom. I bit my lip to keep from retorting with, "_Well, Al's sleeping with Victrola, but no one has a problem with him." _But that'd only cause more problems. I instead took a breath.

"So, help me! You seem ok with me!" I whispered harshly. Sadie huffed and looked at the ceiling, hopelessly.

"Look, Malfoy, there's really no reason for me to help...you..." Sadie got a far off look in her eye as she trailed off in her sentence. She then stared at me for a bit before a slow smile spread across her lips.

"Actually Malfoy, there is something you can do for me. How about we make a deal?" she asked, still smiling at me. I felt a bit uneasy.

"What do I have to do?" I asked. Sadie scoffed and turned back to the front.

"Trust me, its easy. I'll get you in and on good terms with Masen and Daphne. All you have to do is help me with something every day after class until Saturday," she said loftily, like this deal was something I wouldn't say no to.

"What is it, exactly, that I have to help you with?" I asked, still feeling a little dread. Sadie smiled at me again, a mischevious glint in her eyes.

"How much do you know about playing Beater?"

It was Friday and I was meeting Sadie for our final one-on-one Quidditch practice before her tryouts tomorrow morning. I must say, that girl is a fucking phenominal Beater, and I don't compliment easily. There was absolutely no way she wouldn't make the team unless there was one guy with International level skill in Gryffindor.

"Hey Scorpius," Sadie called from the center of the pitch. I walked toward her, my cat who had taken to following me to these practices bouncing around at my feet. Sadie laughed at the sight, a reaction I was well used to. I lost some badass credit amongst the Ravenclaw guys for my tiny cat.

"Shut it," I growled at her. Sadie chuckled a bit more before mounting her broom and shooting upwards, clutching her bat. I grabbed my own borrowed (from one of the Ravenclaw Beaters) bat and launced myself into the sky. We didn't use real Bludgers, at the risk of loosing one or hurting each other. Well, mostly just hitting me. Sadie was now awesome at not getting hit.

When we'd first started, Sadie's only problem was the strength and force behind her hitting. Her aim was amazing and her ability to see and stop the Bludger was great too. But when she'd attempted to hit the dodgeball (which is what we were using to practice; Sadie had decided on it) she had nearly slid backwards off the broom because she couldn't find her center of gravity. So, our first practice that Tuesday night had been devoted to her working on counterbalancing her inertia behind her hits and the force it took to hit a Bludger.

Now, Sadie was deadly. She could hit with such accuracy that I hardly had time to duck before the red rubber ball would smack me. I had bruises blossoming all over my back, chest, and arms.

"Merlin! Sadie, damnit!" I shouted after she clipped my shoulder for the second time. She growled and stopped, turning to face me.

"Sorry! God! You know, I'll be using real Bludgers in a game. And I won't go easy on you!" she called back. I rubbed my shoulder, which I thought might be dislocated or something and grimaced. Sometimes, during these practices I forgot we were from two different houses. I got along fairly well with her. We bickered a bit, but mostly because she liked to purposefully antagonize me.

After an hour and a half of her chasing me around the pitch and smacking bewitched dodgeballs at me, we called it quits and headed back to the castle.

"So, Masen seemed a little less hatefull towards me today," I said brightly as we walked side-by-side back down stairs. We had deposited our things in our respective common rooms and had just finished eating in the kitchens since we had skipped dinner, like we had done every night of our practices. I had learned from Al back in second year where the kitchens were, so me and Sadie had agreed to this little arrangement. It was nice being able to talk with someone who wasn't related to Rose and didn't hate her, either. Sadie had been true to her word, and in the presence of her friends, we had openly talked. Usually, we jokingly insulted each other, but that was the equivalent of a scintillating conversation for us.

"Scorpius, what are you doing?" a voice I instantly recognized called. Sadie and I spin around and saw Victrola standing there, brows raised and flanked by her usual Slytherin friend, Missy Goyle. I smiled and waved at her, about to leave when she flipped her hair and sneered at Sadie, before speaking to me.

"Al's looking for you. I'm about to go to him. We need to talk," Vic said, dropping her bitchy demeanor from a second ago as she talked to me. I nodded and turned to Sadie.

"See you. And good luck tomorrow," I said, walking backwards to Vic as I spoke. Sadie smirked, raising her eyebrows.

"So you're going to just go with her?" Sadie asked dramatically, mirroring Vic's tone from a moment ago. I heard Vic scoff as she dismissed her friend.

"Seems that way, doesn't it," I said back, playing along. I smirked before turning and starting down the hall with Vic.

"What ever happened to bro's before ho's?" Sadie shouted in a mock-offronted tone. I fought back my laughter as Victrola mumbled obscenities under her breath.

I see a beautiful friendship with Sadie Anveray in my future.

* * *

**AN: Awe, some Sadie/Scorp friendship time. **

**So, Sadie's trying out for Quidditch... Means to an end, my friends...Means to an end. And that's all I'm saying about it :)**

**Next chapter in Rose's POV. **

**_Reviews put Sadie in the team and make me update faster, hint hint :)_**

**Any way, **


	18. Of Quidditch and Approval

**Disclaimer: Any infringement not intended. I swear. **

**Rose PoV:**

I woke up Saturday morning, feeling excited at the prospect of our Quidditch trials today. I had no idea who would make Freddie's cut. He was harsh. So harsh, in fact that only two family members, me included, had made the team under his Captaincy. The other was my cousin Dominique, who was a seventh year like Freddie. She played Chaser, and was amazing. According to Freddie, only the best could be on his team. I was proud to be considered the best, seeing as even his own twin sister didn't make the team. I stretched, sitting up and looking around at my dormmates.

Sadie and Daphne were already awake and dressed. I threw my covers off and started getting ready in my practice gear. Grabbing my broom, I turned to my friends just as our other room mates started stirring.

"Coming to tryouts today?" I asked as we walked out of the dorm and down the stairs. Daphne shrugged. "Yeah, sure," she said, yawning. I looked at Sadie who was green in the face and was clutching her own broom. I stopped dead. We were in the center of the Common Room now, it's other occupants either team members or their friends.

"Sadie," I said slowly, looking from her terror filled eyes to the Nimbus 2012 in her hand. She looked up at me, still biting her lip. "Are you... Are you try-trying out?" I asked in complete disbelief.

Sadie nodded, smiling shyly. I stared back. Elation slowly spread through me.

"Oh my God!" I gasped, darting to her and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She hugged me back, and when we pulled apart, she was smiling slightly.

"So it's ok? You're not mad?" she mumbled, looking extremely unsure of herself.

"Mad? How could I be? I can't tell you what to do and besides, I'm thrilled!" I told her, knowing every word was true. She smiled in relief.

"How come you never told us you played Quidditch?" Daphne implored, knitting her brows. Sadie seemed to regain some of her usual vigor and rolled her eyes.

"If I'd told you back in third year or any other time, would you have believed me?" she queried. Even though she wasn't looking at me, we all knew the question was directed at me, given that I was the one accused of being self-centered and unaware of my friends feelings and such.

"Well, no, seeing as you're usually very girly and...not sport-ish," Daphne articulated, crinkling her nose at her lack of scholarly-sounding vocabulary for Sadie's everyday demeanor.

Sadie and I chuckled at her discomfort before the three of us headed out of the portrait hole and on to breakfast.

"Hey, ladies," Masen teased, sliding into a seat opposite me and Daphne. He started pulling dishes toward him. I stared down at my French toast, scooting some strawberry slices around.

I just can't lie to myself anymore.

Masen made me uncomfortable. Ever since we'd made up, I started noticing new habits of his that were truly annoying. Like the fact that he was suddenly some player or something. The old Masen respected girls, generally, and even though he'd talk about girls he thought were attractive, it was never in a sexual or leering way. But now... Now it was all he could talk about. I knew it killed Daphne inside, because things like that, things she deemed 'improper' drove her mad. Sadie just sighed sadly alot. I ignored it. But there was only so much we could take. I knew that if he made another objectifying comment, Daphne would be the one to crack first.

There was a rather awkward silence over our little group. I was about to break it when Porter and Decklin strode up and sat with us. Porter leaned his broom on the table next to mine, and I fought the urge to groan. He was trying out against Sadie. I really hoped she was good, because I would kill myself if Porter made the team and not her.

"Hey, ladies, Masen," Porter drawled. I heard a distinctive clatter and I knew Daphne had dropped her fork in anger. Masen chortled stupidly along with Porter. I rolled my eyes at my plate.

"So, coming to tryouts today?" Porter asked, munching on a piece of cantelope. Sadie looked up and offered him her best and fakest smile.

"Uh-huh," she affirmed in a overly sweet voice. Porter grinned indulgently at her.

"And you, Daphne?" he crooned, his mouth full of mutilated fruit. Daphne's face was a mask of carefully contolled disgust that an untrained eye would miss.

"Of course," she answered in a clipped voice. Porter turned to me and leered.

"Of course you've got to be there, Rosie." he declared. I stared stonily back at him. The day after I'd made up with Masen, he'd taken it upon himself to make up with Porter for me. Now Porter seemed to think I'd "gotten over that Malfoy prick" and was quick to rekindle our previous relationship. He hadn't asked me out yet, but Sadie assured me it was coming in due time.

"Oh, yes. I'm excited to see my best friend try out," I offered, not sounding bitchy in the least. I was proud to say I was getting better at hiding my dislike toward people.

"Wow, I'm your best friend now, am I?" Porter laughed at his own joke, causing Decklin and Masen to laugh along sycophantically. Sadie sputtered in indignation. I gave Porter a noticeably fake smile and said, "Hell no, I meant Sadie."

The self-assured look practically melted off his face. The boys all turned to look incredulusly at Sadie.

"Yep, me," she said, shrugging as if it meant nothing.

"Hey, Anveray!" a voice that still sent chills of pleasure down my spine called out. We all looked up to see Scorpius and Albus walking up to our table. When they arrived, Scorpius grabbed a piece of toast and sat down next to Sadie, straddling the bench. Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Malfoy. What do I owe this pleasure?" She said, smirking at Scorpius, who laughed.

"Just stopping by to say good luck today. And to see my favorite person in the whole world," he said, his eyes flicking to me briefly as he said the last part.

"Well, thanks. And who is this favorite person of yours?" Sadie asked, laughing with Albus, both of them seeming to assume she'd just allowed for an inside joke or something. Scorpius grimaced.

"Thomas, of course," he sneered, sending Porter a sarcastic smile. Daphne and I both joined in on the laughter at Porter's expense. Scorpius grinned before looking at me.

"See you later, Weasley," he murmured, throwing me a heart-stopping smile. I smiled back, not wanting to look away. Porter broke our moment with an irritating fake cough.

"You can go now, Malfoy," Porter growled. Scorpius rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Whatever Thomas," Scorpius said with an eye roll. He spotted Porter's broom next to mine. "Trying out, are we?" he asked.

Porter nodded stiffly. "So what if I am? Scared I'll destroy you in the next match?" Porter answered defiantly, implying he was sure he'd make the team. Scorpius laughed condescendingly with Albus before responding.

"Mate, you've got no chance. My girl Sadie here is going to kick your ass. But hold on to your delusion." Scorpius taunted, smirking at Porter once more before saying good bye to Sadie, me, and even Daphne, who surprised us by waving back, albeit a bit reproachfully.

"What the hell?" Porter all but roared at Sadie. She shot him a scathing look before finishing up her breakfast.

"Sadie, why are you and that dick suddenly acting like friends?" Masen demanded. Sadie glared at him.

"Well, we are, not that it's any of your business," Sadie hissed. I suddenly felt a rush or gratitude for my friend. If she and Scorpius were friends, it meant I had another ally.

"What?" Masen gasped, acting as if she betrayed him. Sadie rolled her eyes as she crumpled up her napkin and threw it angrily on her plate.

"He helped me train for try outs. Just because you choose to hate him on principle doesn't mean I have to follow your pigheaded ways," Sadie stood, grabbing her broom. She looked at me and Daphne.

"Ladies," she beckoned mockingly. I fought back laughter as I grabbed my broom, knocking Porter's over in the process, but not really caring. I followed my friends out of the Great Hall. We walked in silence into the Entrance Hall. It was relatively full, with people standing around in groups, chatting and laughing.

I saw Scorpius and Albus laughing with some of their Ravenclaw friends. I fought the desire to catch Scorpius' attention, when he turned and looked at me. I stopped and smiled, practically giddy to recieve a smile in return. He grabbed Albus' forearm, waving at their friends and dismissing themselves before dashing over to us.

"Hey," Scorpius breathed, looking at me, when they reached us. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I whispered a quiet, "Hey," back. I guess we were unaware that we were leaning toward each other, Scorpius ducking down a bit to accomodate my height, and I felt my eyes start to close. I could see practically every fleck of silver in his eyes now and smell the cologne that was just... so uniquely him. Just as we were about to kiss, someone cleared their throat from next to us.

Scorpius and I sprang apart, blushing madly. Albus and Sadie were leaning against each other, laughing and clutching their sides while Daphne bit her lip, obviously trying not to laugh.

"Screw you," Scorpius growled, punching Albus feebly in the arm. Albus and Sadie burst into renewed bouts of laughter. Now people were turning to stare, and I felt my face heat up more, wondering if they'd seen Scorpius and my almost-kiss.

"Let's just go," I grumbled angrily, more embarassed than anything. Sadie and Albus wiped their eyes and turned to leave, Daphne walking alongside them. I shouldered my broom, heading out of the Entrance Hall and into the bright Saturday morning sunshine with Scorpius by my side.

The five of us walked toward the Quidditch pitch, falling into easy conversation. I let my friends and Albus talk, hanging back a bit. Scorpius followed suit and walked diligently next to me, our three friends laughing and talking loudly.

Scorpius gently took my broom from my shoulder, against my protests.

"Please, just humor me. I want to make up in any way I can for the things I put you through with your family and friends. And even though this is kind of a weird way, I just want to do it," he said, throwing my broom easily over his shoulder before looking back at me.

"Ok," I allowed, wishing my red headed genes would stop making me blush at the simplest of things. We stopped, facing each other. Scorpius smiled softly, reaching up to cup my cheek with his hand, rubbing his thumb softly over my cheekbone.

"I-" Scorpius started before we were interupted again by Sadie this time.

"Could you two please stop with your adorable moments? It's making us sick with the cuteness and sweetness of it," she called, smirking snarkily. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Oh, shut up!" Scorpius shouted back, draping his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him, relishing the feeling of his closeness.

"I like your jacket," Scorpius whispered. I laughed, pulling the worn leather jacket he'd given me the night he had snuck over to my house closer to my body. It was a bit big on me, but I loved it. Embarassed as I was to admit it to myself, I had even fallen asleep in it a few times since that night. I normally woke up before my friends, so I was able to take it off before they woke up.

"Yeah, this guy gave it to me," I teased, looking up at Scorpius. He laughed. "It's my new favorite." I added.

"Good, because it's yours. I don't want it back," he said. I smiled to myself.

"Well, I wasn't planning on giving it back," I told him. We'd reached the pitch and I reluctantly pulled away from Scorpius. Albus and Daphne were already heading into the stands, and Sadie was walking onto the pitch itself. Scorpius handed me my broom, our gloved finger tips brushing. Scorpius and I looked at each other, and he slowly linked our fingers together, smiling softly at our intertwined hands. "I like that," he whispered, indicating our hands. I was about to agree when I was yet again interrupted.

"Rose, c'mon!" Sadie called. I groaned, letting go of Scorpius.

"Bye, I'll see you after try outs," I said, starting to walk away.

"Ok. We should all hang out afterward to celebrate Sadie's victory," he responded, smiling. I laughed, enjoying the fact that he was so confident in my friend's Quidditch skills.

I started to turn around, but stopped and looked back at him. He had already started off to the stands.

"Scorpius!" I called, jogging toward him. He turned around, his eyebrows knit in confusion. I stopped infront of him, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him down, crashing his lips to mine.

We broke apart quickly, both of us smiling stupidly.

"What was that for? I thought we were starting off as friends this time?" he asked. I grinned up at him.

"No, were going slowly," I clarified before turning around and walking away.

"I don't know if I can take this slowly if you start kissing me," Scorpius shouted to me. I paused and looked back over my shoulder, calling to him, "I know!"

I heard him laugh before I entered the pitch. I inhaled deeply, feeling myself smile. I was at home here.

"Rosie!" Freddie beckoned. I walked over to where he was standing with the four other team members. I took my place in the circle between Dominique and one of the Chasers, a fifth year named Luca Quintana.

"Ok, so we've got a total of fourteen people trying out. We're starting off with them all flying with us a bit, seeing who can actually manage to stay airborne. Then the second round of people will do some teaming with Hathaway that way we'll see how well they aim," Freddie barked in his "Captain's Voice". We all nodded and broke apart, turning to face the potential Beaters. There were five kids that looked like first years who'd never even seen a broom before, let alone rode one. Then there were another three second year looking ones, three that coul've been third through fifth years, and then Sadie, Porter, and another sixth year.

"Alright, kids, everyone up in the air," Freddie barked, mounting his broom and kicking off. It was evident immediately that I was right in my assesment of the first years. One slid backwards off his broom right as he kicked off, one never even mounted his, instead choosing to throw it down and run off the pitch. The other three managed to fly for about two minutes before one crashed into another and they both topped sideways off their brooms. The last first year flew relatively well. Freddie had the other applicants fly laps around the pitch. Sadie and Porter both flew amazingly. I knew it'd come down to them, the other sixth year, and a fourth year kid who looked at home on his broom.

Freddie had us all land. Once down, he cut the three second years, the fifth year and the remaining first year, stating that their flying just wasn't up to his standards. Then he took the third year out, because the kid asked about scheduling conflicts with his Wizard's Chess club. In Freddie's world, Quidditch was it own separate entity and if you had things outside of it, you just didn't bring them on the pitch.

"Now we're taking you four up one by one and having you and our other Beater, Carter Hathaway, team up and work together. We want to see your skills in two major areas," Freddie comanded, holding up two fingers. "One: Your aim and power together. If you hit hard, cool but I can't have a Beater who's aim sucks. You're liable to hit your own team. And two: how you work with the team. I'm not about to get rid of my team here for any of you. So if you lack any of those things, off the pitch now." When none of them moved, Freddie beamed.

"Good choice. Now, the order you'll be taken up is as follows: Robbie Scott," indicating the fourth year; "Mark Abrams," the sixth year stared blankly back; "Porter Thomas," Porter grinned cockily; "And Sadie Anveray," Freddie finished, stopping infront of Sadie, sizing her up. Sadie crossed her arms and raised a single eyebrow, as if daring Freddie to comment. Freddie grinned at her before shaking his head and turning away from her. Behind his back, Sadie winked at me. I threw her an exaggereated thumbs up back and bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Scott, you're up!" Freddie called. We all shot up in the air, trying out the fourth year. Hunter McKenna, the Keeper, and I were acting as opposing Beaters, along with Dominique as our Chaser. We were both relatively decent at playing Beater. Our job was to aim at Freddie, Luca, Hathaway or the person trying out. Scott's aim was sub parr and he slid on his broom every time he whacked the bludger. Freddie called it off after a few minutes and started trying out Mark Abrams. Abrams was powerful, but his aim was shit. He was aiming for Dominique at one point as she zoomed toward the goal posts but ended up hitting Luca instead. It wouldn't have been so bad if Luca hadn't been parallel to Dom on the opposite side of the pitch.

Porter's try out was disappointing for me. He was great. I really hoped Sadie lived up to Scorpius' hype or else I'd be playing with Porter for the remainder of the year.

"Great job, Thomas," Freddie beamed as Porter's try out ended. I could tell that Freddie was impressed with him after Porter made a particularly good shot at Dom.

"Finally, Anveray," Freddie called. Sadie took a deep breath and mounted her broom, kicking off and meeting up with Hathaway. They talked for a minute, like Hataway had done with all the other applicants. Then the real try out started. I smacked the bludger to Hunter who aimed at Luca, who had the Quaffle. Hathaway was closest and blocked the hit. I intercepted the bludger and although I wanted to aim at Dom, who was about to pass Sadie, I instead hit at Luca. Sadie zoomed in out of nowhere and smacked the bludger back at me so hard, I had no choice but to roll on my broom. I shared an amazed look with Hunter, who looked scared to be on the recieving end now.

After several minutes later, the game got intense. Hunter and I were determined to get a hit on one of our opponents. I had the chance to smack it at Freddie, so I cocked my arm back and hit it with as much force as I could muster. Freddie hadn't been looking, and I realized at the last moment that I could really hurt him. Then Sadie, who had seen my hit from her position above. She dove and right when she came to Freddie's level and he finally turned and saw the bludger, Sadie hit it. I heard the crack of her bat making contact with the bludger from my spot ten feet away. It sped past me and hit Hunter in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to go soaring off his broom. Luckily he'd only been three feet off the ground. Since he had been about thirty feet behind me, the bludger had started to slow down and descend, which is why it hit him in the stomach and not the head, like it almost hit me.

"Oh my, God!" Sadie shouted. The rest of the team, excluding Freddie dove to the ground abandoning our brooms and running to Hunter.

"I'm so sorry!" Sadie cried looking stricken. Hunter wheezed a laugh.

"I'm fine, I just need to catch my breath. Damn, Sadie," Hunter coughed, looking up at her with watery eyes.

Sadie was kneeling on the ground, Hunter's head in her lap. She kept asking him if he was ok and to forgive him. Then someone pushed through the crowd that had gathered.

"Anveray!" Freddie bellowed, stopping at Hunter's feet and looking down at Sadie.

"That...That was amazing," Freddie said, looking at Sadie in wonder. Sadie looked up at Freddie, a smile hesitantly speading on her face.

"You're on the team," Freddie beamed. Sadie squealed at jumped up, throwing her arms around Freddie's neck. Freddie hesitated before hugging her back.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Sadie was squealing into Freddie's chest. Freddie laughed good-naturedly. They broke apart and Sadie launched herself at me. I laughed along with her.

"Good job, Porter, but the better _man _won," Sadie said to him, stressing the word 'man'. Porter shot her a scathing look, giving her a rude hand gesture to go with it. He quickly composed himself as Freddie turned from talking with Hunter and informed him that he was the reserve Beater. I looked at Sadie quizzically, wondering about this latest development in their bickering.

"Before his try out he wished me good luck with a back hand comment about 'being the better man'. I figured I should show him up with a backhand comment of my own," Sadie told me, smiling mischeviously. After the rest of the team made sure Hunter was alright, with a few comments about how they were glad Sadie wouldn't be aiming at them in the games, we met up with Daphne, Albus and Scorpius.

"I told you you'd make it!" Scorpius bellowed, running forward and scooping Sadie up into a hug, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around. Albus, Daphne and I laughed as Sadie screamed in protest. Albus ran forward and they lifted her onto their shoulders, shouting, "Watch out, the Gryffindor Bad Ass coming through," as we made our way through the crowd leaving the stadium. Daphne and I were laughing so hard at their antics we had tears in our eyes.

Once we made it to the lake, the boys depostied Sadie back on her feet before we collapsed near the beech tree. The five of us sat there, laughing and talking until it got too cold to stay out any longer.

We all walked back into the school at dinner time, shivering and shaking snow fluries out of our hair. We said our goodbyes as we went to our respective tables.

After we sat down and started eating in a comfortable silence, Daphne broke it by clearing her throat and looking at me.

"I approve," was all she said. I dropped my fork with a clatter.

"You...you approve?" I asked. Daphne smiled, nodding her head.

"Yeah. I had fun today, and if that's the real him, then I approve. I mean, you could've dated regardless but after everything that happened in the past week, I thought you should know," Daphne shrugged. I felt myself smile in pure happiness.

"You know, we should hang out with them more," Sadie said. Daphne nodded in agreement.

"I'd like that," I said softly, feeling like some things were falling into place.

* * *

**AN: So at one point I saved this and it was at 1,234 words. It took a lot of strength to continue it after that. **

**Out of all the amazing reviews I got last chapter, the ones that stand out the most are the ones that you guys tell little stories about how things in the story correlate with your lives****. I love these kinds of reviews. I really do. They make me feel like you guys are really into this story and it just makes writing this worth it. So thanks, you guys. **

**Also, as weird as it sounds, I love when you guys swear in reviews. **_xrawrDINOSAURx_**, your review made me laugh. It was by far one of my favorites ever. **

**And to **_GoldieSanchez_**, please get some sleep :)**

**_Reviews make the next chapter about why Masen's a "dickhead" _:)**


	19. Of Hugo and Lily

**AN: **xrawrDINOSAURx makes me giggle. Alot. Know why? CAUSE THIS STORY HAS BEEN C2'ed! AHHHHH! Go check out her community 'ScorpRose Forever'. LunasMom is a new and certified member of the "_Night's Badass Reviewers List_" because she gave us the new term 'douche NUGGET'. GoldieSanchez still needs to sleep, but I still love her reviews.

**Disclaimer: nojkjkjklololol... I wish. **

**Scorpius PoV:**

"Hey, loser," Sadie called to me as she, Daphne, and Rose ran up to Al and I as we exited the Great Hall. I grinned at her.

"What's up, blondie?" I said back. We'd started calling each other names during our Quidditch practices, and they'd gone from insulting, to creative, to our current form of 'what-ever-came-to-mind-first'.

"Let's all be lazy today and go and sit by the lake." Sadie proclaimed. We all stopped and turned to her.

"What?" She asked defensively. Al was the one to speak up first.

"Sadie, it's fourty degrees outside," Al said slowly, as if her was speaking to a child. Sadie blushed.

"Oh shut up," Sadie grumbled. Rose laughed and pulled away from me, leaving me and Sadie standing together, Al on my other side.

"We've got to go, anyway. There's a test in Astronomy tomorrow," Rose said, walking away with Daphne. Sadie, Al, and I started off toward the kitchens. Even though we'd all just eaten, it was a good place to just sit and talk, and the elves were really nice about it.

As we rounded a corner on our way there, we ran into two people in our way.

"Oh, hey guys," Lily said, stepping back after she'd run into me. I saw she was with Hugo Weasley, Rose's little brother.

Now the thing about Hugo is... well, he doesn't talk. Like, ever. I could literally count every time I'd heard him speak on one hand and had exactly one conversation with him, and it was because I felt obligated to. It went like this:

Me: Oh, hi, you're Al's cousin Hugo, right?

Hugo: -stares-

Me: Um, cool. So you're a Gryffindor now, right?

Hugo: -stares. Then nods slowly-

Me: Uh, could you, uh, pass the peas, please?

Hugo: -passes vegetables-

Me: So... How 'bout those Cannons?

Hugo: The Cannons suck.

Me: HOLY CRAP YOU SPOKE! Oh, I mean... Yeah. They do.

Hugo: -stares-

And that was it. Apparently he only truly spoke to Rose, Lily, his parents, and anytime he absolutely had to. Sometimes I got the feeling he just sat there and watched; like, he knew all your secrets, but you'd never know 'cause he was so quiet and mysterious.

"What're you both doing?" Al said, suspicious. Lily and Hugo had a staring conversation, one of the many odd things I was now used to about the weird goings on in the Potter/Weasleys.

"We weren't doing anything," Lily said. Hugo huffed and looked away. Lily turned to him, giving him an urgent look.

"I know, I know!" she said. Hugo raised his eyebrows.

"Ugh, just stop accusing me!" Lily said. Hugo rolled his eyes.

"It was your idea!" Lily shrieked. Hugo laughed and walked away.

"I'm sorry! You're right, it was my idea, too!" Lily called after him, leaving us in her wake.

"What the hell just happened?" Sadie said in utter disbelief.

"I... I don't know," Al said slowly.

"Wow." was all I could say.

"So. Weird." Sadie said, starting off down the hall again.

"Yep."

* * *

**AN: ITS A SHORT FILLER! I KNOW. I'M SORRY. **

_With that said, I'll offer some pathetic, but true excuses and explain myself._

_So... I started school three days ago... SENIOR STATUS, baby! c/o 2011 bitchesssss! lol, but seriously, I'm a senior now, and I get shit loads of homework, not to mention, my classes are fucking insane. My schedule includes an AP and 911 Dispatch. Those are serious, all year classes! When I started this, I was a junior and I legit got no homework, except that serial killer project. Ugh. But its worth it because with Dispatch, if I pass, I get certified as a dispatcher, and I get to take field trips with my AP and Dispatch. So, when I find the time, AND I WILL, I'll update with an epictastical new chapter of epic proportions of amazing-ness. _

_So I promise, I will update ASAP. _

_But, feel free to bitch at me in a review. I deserve it. _


	20. Of Finals and Cliffhangers

**AN: **_Long chapter like I promised. _

**Disclaimer: I don't intend to infringe on anyone's copyright. Nothing's mine. **

**Rose's POV:**

It was mid-March and today was the day of the Quidditch finals. We were playing Ravenclaw, our current rivals. And I couldn't be any more excited.

"It's like Mother Nature's cheering us on!" Sadie squealed into my ear, clutching her bat tightly to her chest. Her jade-green eyes were bright with excitement, and I knew mine were pretty much the same. It was still chilly out, but it no longer snowed and it was really rather bearable to fly now. Our practices and games all during January and February were nightmares. It was so unbearable that half the players ended up in the Hospital Wing for weather-related reasons alone, and not just our team. Today was sunny and nice, making my anticipation and excitement sky-rocket.

"Ok, team, this is it," Freddie said seriously, revving us up. "We win this one, we're it. We're the champions. And we can do it. Ravenclaw might be good as a whole, but we're amazing individually _and_ as a team," he said, looking at each of us.

"We've got the three best Chaser's ever! Luca, you can catch that Quaffle better than I've ever seen before," at this, Luca smiled bashfully, enjoying the rare praise Freddie was giving,

"Dominique, you can shoot so spectacularly, I'm amazed every time," he said, nodding to Dom. She nodded back graciously, a small smile on her lips.

"And, I'm pretty awesome myself, if I do say so," Freddie added nonchalantly, reverting briefly back into his joking demeanor before pulling a serious look once again.

"Our Seeker, Rosie the Rocket, is the fastest one out there and hasn't lost a game yet," he intoned, looking at me proudly. I felt myself go red at his praise.

"This guy, our brilliant Keeper Hunter, is so great, Ravenclaw won't even get a goal in," Freddie said, clapping Hunter on the shoulder.

"And our Beaters, Hathaway, who can hit like it's no ones business, and Sadie, the only female Beater who's better than the Ravenclaw Beaters combined." Freddie said, looking at Sadie with pride and a bit of something like wonder.

"Now team, I want you all focused and sharp. We can do this. We're Gryffindor's. This is our victory." Freddie finished, letting his words sink in before shouldering his broom and walking out of the locker room. We followed, everyone smiling in pure excitement.

"And for Gryffindor we have McKenna, Weasley, Quintana, Weasley, Hathaway, Anveray, and Captain Freddie Weasley!" The announcer, River Jordan, a friend of the family, being Lee Jordan's daughter, called our surnames out as we entered the pitch to roaring cheers.

The Ravenclaws were already in a straight line in the center of the pitch. We faced them, in order by position, across from them. I was facing Scorpius who was grinning like a maniac.

"Good luck, Weasley," he said, winking at me.

"You too, Malfoy," I replied cooly. On the pitch, he wasn't my almost-boyfriend Scorpius. He was my opposing Seeker, Malfoy. I looked away and at the rest of the team. Freddie was glaring menacingly at the Ravenclaw captain, Rossiem. Dominique was looking disinterestedly at the Chaser across from her. Albus saw me looking and sent me a challenging grin, to which I raised a brow and looked on. The Ravenclaw Beaters looked at each other and back at Sadie, shaking their heads condescendingly. Sadie threw them a rude hand gesture in return when Madame Wood wasn't looking.

"Captians, shake hands," Madame Wood called, throwing a leg over her broom as Freddie and Rossiem grabbed each other's hands and shook. "In three, two, one," she counted down, ending with a shrill blast of her whistle. We all shot up, soaring into the sky amongst even louder applause and cheers.

"And they're off! Quintana passes to Dominique Weasley, who shoots, but is intercepted by Potter! Potter has the Quaffle and is headed towards the Gryffindor posts. Oh! Nice bludger by Anveray! Sadie Anveray, Gryffindor's surprise new addition, and the only girl to play Beater at Hogwarts in decades! Potter nearly thrown from his broom! He drops the Quaffle, caught by Captain Weasley who shoots off toward the goal posts!" I stopped listening, choosing to focus on the game. I saw Scor-_Malfoy _flying around the pitch, focused sharply on the game. I spun, starting off in the opposite direction. I was scanning the pitch for the Snitch, searching for that tiny speck of gold. Malfoy and I passed each other. I thought he was paying more attention to the game, until he looked up at me as we passed. He winked and grinned before looking back at the pitch.

I'll admit, I loved it, but I was mentally chastising myself for being such a girl right then. This was our Final. I needed to get my head in the game. As I passed the Gryffindor section, their cheers rose, boosting my confidence. I cleared my head and scanned the pitch more ferverently.

I saw it. I saw the Snitch hovering around Hataway's left foot. I saw Malfoy stop in mid-air before taking off. I was closer, so my late take off wasn't a big hinderance.

"Rose and Malfoy both spot the Snitch! They're headed straight for Hathaway, who's oblivious..." I tuned River out. I tuned everything out. All that mattered was catching the Snitch.

Malfoy and I were the same diststance away from Hathaway's knee. Hathaway was so focused on the game, that he had no idea we were tailing him. Hathaway had turned, starting off towards the direction of the Gryffindor section of the stands, following a bludger, the Snitch following him, and Malfoy and me following it.

We were drawing closer and closer to the stands. Hathaway, who'd smacked the bludger at a Ravenclaw Chaser, spun around, finally seeing us headed directly toward him at full speed. He shouted obscenities at the top of his lungs before shooting up and out of our way. But Malfoy and I were oblivious. We were both so focused on the Snitch that we didn't realize how close to the stands we actually were.

Now, in moments such as these, every sense goes on hyper-alert for your target. All I could hear were the sounds of Malfoy and my labored breathing over the roaring of the wind. I could feel the icy air blasting my face; I could feel my hair snaking around my neck before being whipped back by the wind over and over. I could see the Snitch so acutely, I could see every detail of its wings. But my senses were dull to everything else. I couldn't hear the screams eminating from the gathered Gryffindor's directly in front of us. I couldn't tell you how far up we were. I couldn't see that our positioning was very, very bad.

Because, Malfoy and I were at the exact level of the guard rail of the stands. If we didn't stop in time, we were going to crash, potentially into the first row.

But none of that factored in my mind, or Malfoy's for that matter. When it came to Quidditch, we were the same entity. We thought alike. And we were just as oblivious to our surroundings.

So when the Snitch suddenly stopped before diving down right as we reached for it simultaniously, we were thouroughly screwed. Because we both went to dive at the exact same time. But not before the ends of our brooms smacked into the guard rail and catapulted us into the stands.

I felt myself fly off my broom, and was aireborne for what seemed like minutes, twisting and flipping in the air before landing hard, and upside down in the laps of a few of my fellow Gryffindor's.

I'd landed on two seventh year boys, who'd been sitting in the third row. My feet were in the fourth row, right in one of my roommates, Charlotte's, face. I grunted in pain a few times before asking for help from one of the boy's I'd landed on. They both helped to right me and when I was standing, I scanned for my broom and Malfoy. I saw him first, seeing as he was in a tangled heap with Porter, Masen, and Decklin. He was shouting at them as they all struggled to right themselves. I started searching for my broom, spotting it quickly in the lap of a stunned first year girl a few rows infront of me.

I looked back at Malfoy, who was rushing to get his broom from where it was tangled in a handmade banner. I ran, leaping into rows and across more laps before snatching my broom from the first year with a rushed, "Thanks!"

I made it to the guard rail just as Malfoy did. He was about fifteen feet away from me, staring me down, too.

We both knew that there wasn't enough space between the guard rail and the first row to be able to properly take off. But neither of us wanted to be the one to have to run down the stairs at the risk of the other making a head start into the sky.

So, with out thinking, I forced a third year next to me out of his seat and used it to climb up onto the guard rail.

I didn't look back at Malfoy, seeing as I was thirty feet in the air at this point, broom in hand, balancing on a thin strip of wood. I also couldn't mount my broom from this point either. So, I clutched it securely in my right hand. I looked up and saw Sadie zooming towards me. I looked over at Malfoy, who was also on the guard rail. I smiled sinisterly at him, which he returned, before clambering onto Sadie's broom and holding on tight. Both to her and my broom.

Sadie took me to the grassy field of the pitch, dropping me off before darting back into the sky to stop more Ravenclaws from scoring goals. I looked up at the stands and saw, to my amazement, as Malfoy threw his broom, which plummeted a few feet before flying back up to meet him. He jumped off the guard rail, handing on his broom like a kid on the monkey bars. He managed to pull himself up and fly off in search of the Snitch. Fuming silently, I mounted my broom and pushed off, accepting the cold bite of the wind as punishment for not getting into the air sooner.

I avoided Freddie like the plaugue, wanting to find the Snitch and redeem myself before his verbal abuse.

"And after that spectacle in the stands, both players are back in the game. It seems both players are alright, though I can't say the same for the people they landed on," River's voice boomed over the megaphone. "Annnnnd back to the game! The ever adorable, gorgeous, amazing Luca Quintana is in possesion," "_Jordan!_" "Sorry, Proffessor McG, just showing support for my man. Anyway, Quintana in possesion of the Quaffle, passes to Dominique who passes to Captain Weasley, who aims, and... SCORES! Another goal for Gryffindor! The game now at 110 - 80 to Gryffindor!" River was shouting with glee. I smiled. We were thirty points ahead of Ravenclaw. It would be better if I waited for at least two more goals, to secure a fifty point advantage over the other houses, but I wanted to catch the Snitch soon.

"Rossiem has the Quaffle, but is hit by a firece bludger from Hathaway! Drops the Quaffle, its intercepted by Dominique. Ouch! Nasty revenge bludger to the stomach by O'Malley. Dominique's okay though, judging by the choice French swear words coming from her direction. Rossiem takes the Quaffle back and is headed towards McKenna. C'mon Hunter! Block him! YES! Nice save by McKenna! And the score is still 110 - 80 to Gryffindor!"

River's running commentary played in my mind as I searched for the Snitch. Just as we scored another goal, I saw it. It was hovering above the middle goal on our end of the stadium, directly above Hunter's head. I was in the middle of the pitch, directly across from Malfoy. We both took off at the same time, headed directly to Hunter. Hunter saw us coming and his eyes widened, but he stayed, refusing to leave the goals, should the Ravenclaws decide to try and score in his absence. It didn't matter. The Snitch was directly behind the middle hoop. I shot through the left hoop, not wanting to crash into Hunter or the edge of the middle goal and started leaning back towards the right, in the direction of the Snitch.

"Rose and Malfoy are neck and neck! They're so close! C'mon Rose, you can do it!" River's voice was screaming through out the stadium. I put on another burst of speed. Malfoy was right next to me, our legs occasionally hitting each other.

Our arms were stretched out and we were flat on our brooms.

The Snitch was so close. I forced my broom faster, and that did it. I moved a bit ahead of Malfoy and caught the Snitch.

"YES! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" River screamed, almost being drowned out by the Gryffindor's (and some Hufflepuff) cheers.

I was so happy, I felt like nothing could go wrong. I sat on my broom, holding my arm in the air, the Snitch struggling in my fingers.

"Good game, Rose," Scorpius said, smiling at me. I grinned back.

"No really you-" Scorpius broke off, his face blank before his eyes went as wide as galleons and he tried to lurch toward me.

"ROSE, DUCK!" Scorpius bellowed.

It was too late. I felt something collide brutally with the back of my neck, right between my shoulder blades. Pain exploded through out my body, ang I flipped forward off my broom. It barely registered that I was tumbling sporratically towards the ground and that I couldn't move - or feel- my arms or legs before everything went black.

* * *

**AN: Ok, lovelies. I feel that this is a sufficient redeemer chapter for the last one. And, this is where shit gets real. **

**Next chapter determines the future of this story. I know what I want to do, but I feel like I should forwarn you. **

**If I go through with what I have planned, this story will have and EPICTASTIC sequel. If I don't it ends after this (their sixth) year. **

**But, my plans are like this: I had an epiphany, whilst planning this story, and thought, "_Wouldn't it be awesome if their kid's seventh year kind of mirrored theirs?"_**

**So, that's what I want to do. I want to write an adventurous story of epic proportions. Because, if I don't go through with my plans for the next chapter, this story will plateau and ultimately get so boring, you'll all cry and hate me. **

**Plus, with my adventureful plans, Rose and Scorpius' relationship WILL solidify and become stronger. **

**So, review, my badass minions :)**


	21. Of Spells and Blood

**Disclaimer: I wish. I don't receive.**

***WARNING* This chapter is a bit gory. *END WARNING***

**Also, some of the...ermmmm... Medical stuff is... Well, made up based on my vast knowledge of the field from a semester of Anatomy and many episodes of House. My excuse is magic. With magic, anything is possible. It's not very far out there, though.**

**_-lastchapter-  
_**_"YES! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" River screamed, almost being drowned out by the Gryffindor's (and some Hufflepuff) cheers._

_I was so happy, I felt like nothing could go wrong. I sat on my broom, holding my arm in the air, the Snitch struggling in my fingers._

_"Good game, Rose," Scorpius said, smiling at me. I grinned back._

_"No really you-" Scorpius broke off, his face blank before his eyes went as wide as galleons and he tried to lurch toward me._

_"ROSE, DUCK!" Scorpius bellowed._

_It was too late. I felt something collide brutally with the back of my neck, right between my shoulder blades. Pain exploded through out my body, ang I flipped forward off my broom. It barely registered that I was tumbling sporratically towards the ground and that I couldn't move - or feel- my arms or legs before everything went black._

**SPOV**:

Rose had caught the Snitch, her face breaking into a huge grin.

"YES! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" River Jordan was screaming, cheers resonating throughout the stadium. I was honestly happy for Rose. With the game we'd all, Gryffindor's included, just played, it was deserved.

"Good game, Rose," I told her, taking my defeat in stride. No, she'd never let me live it down. But I knew that she'd taunt me, giving me those pretty little smiles she had when she tried to be more ferocious than she was. Those damn smiles always made my heart pick up pace in the most pleasureable way. Sometimes I lived for those smiles; they'd just make me forget all the crap I dealt with in life.

After I praised her victory, she'd given me a disbelieving look, so I felt the need (i.e. before I could stop myself, which happens to me alot around Rose) to reassure her.

"No really you-" I started, but something caught my eye. In the Hufflepuff stands behind us, someone had moved oddly. I mean, there were jumping and cheering and dancing kids everywhere, but this person made the hairs on my neck stand up. I momentarily forgot what I was saying as I watched whoever, whilst standing behind everyone on the highest row, throw back their hood, revealing a glint of pure silver (which I'd later realize was a mask) and raise their wand. And as I watched, they fired off a spell. A spell that was composed of brilliant purple flame-like light. And it was headed straight for Rose.

"ROSE, DUCK!" I screamed, lunging to pull her out of the way. But the spell was too fast. It hit her directly in the back.

Rose's eyes widened, and I saw split second flashes of so many emotions with in them. Fear, pain, confusion. I was frozen with shock, just watching her.

She started to topple sideways off her broom, her sapphire iris' rolling back into her head. With out thinking, I flew under her, knowing we'd both fall if I tried to catch her while I was parallel to her. She fell heavily in my arms, her dead weight making us descend rapidly a few meters. I craddled her bridal-style in my arms as I slowly dove towards the ground. As I did so, I felt warmth, which at first attributed to Rose's body so close to mine. But that was before the salty metallic smell hit me full force.

I stopped, about ten feet from the ground, and looked down. I regretted it instantly.

I had subconsciously thought the spell had just knocked her out, like a Stunner. I was so wrong.

My robes were now a deep, almost black, scarlet with Rose's blood. I could feel the arms and torso of my robes sticking to me. And it was spreading. I could feel her blood on my legs now. Cautiously, I lifted her into a sitting position on my lap. Her head flopped forward onto the bicep of the arm that was supporting her. But none of it mattered. Lifting her into that position was my biggest mistake.

Rose's robes were slashed open diagonally from mid left ribs to right shoulder. But the sight before me will scar me for life. I could see every tendon, every muscle, and bone through the gash. And the blood. There was just so much. I couldn't help it. The tears came before I could stop them and I started shouting and screaming.

"HELP ME! SHE'S...OH MY GOD! NO! ROSE!" I was sobbing hysterically, flying to the ground as quickly as possible, getting off my broom and collapsing on the grass. "Rose Rose Rose! NO!" I was sobbing.

The teams had crowded around me now, and I could hear panicked voices and other people crying. Nothing mattered. Rose was dying, in my arms.

I hadn't even told her I loved her.

"I'm sorry! Rose, I'm sorry! Don't die! Please don't leave me!" I was screaming. Al suddenly appeared with Sadie, who was crying just as horribly, if not worse, than I was.

"Hospital... Wing. Go. We need to. Now..." Al choked out with a thick voice. I tryed to stand and hold Rose, but I couldn't do it alone. I stopped sobbing long enough to stare Al down. He understood, and we moved together, managing, with Sadie's help, to lock arms and craddle Rose between us, an arm around each of our necks.

"MOVE!" Sadie was shouting, taking off across the pitch, through the crowd of what seemed like the entire school, making a path for us. Al and I ran as fast as we could, both conscious of the probable spinal injury she had. I was no longer sobbing pitifully (and against my will, I might add), but the tears still came steadily.

If Rose..._died..._it was all my fault. My fault. I wasn't able to protect her. I didn't take the spell for her. I didn't... I..

I saw the faces as they passed; they ranged from shock to awe to terror. I just couldn't comprehend them.

We made it into the silence of the Castle, the only sounds being Sadie, Al, and my frantic, scuffling steps, or labored breathing and a thin, raspy sopund I soon realized were Rose's gasps of breath. Although it gave me renewed hope, I knew it wasn't a good sound.

We made it as far as the hallway that led to the Hospital Wing before we met someone. Or rather, a large group.

Mr. Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Proffessor McGonagall, Proffessor Longbottom, Madame Clearwater, and several St. Mungo's Healers were rushing to meet us. The Healers, one of which, with shock, I recognized as my father, had a stretcher between them.

"Hand her over, boys, we'll take it from here," one of the Healers said. Al started to let go, but I held tight.

"I-I ccan'tt-I," I stuttered. The Healer looked helplessly at the gathered parents. My father strode over and practically shoved Al away before gathering Rose in his arms and gently laying her on the stretcher. With her gone from my arms, I felt my legs give out. I stared listlessly at the ground, not knowing what to do. Sadie came forward and wrapped her arms around me, crying steadily into my shoulder. I heard a rough sliding sound and turned to see Al, his face completely blank, slowly sliding down the stone wall of the hallway. I just stared at him, and soon, he looked back at me. His face betrayed nothing of what I needed right now. His eyes were cold and despondant.

I knew my face was just as bad. We were both masking the feelings of the seemingly endless loss we were feeling right now. We could hear Mrs. Weasley's screams of pain and misery from the Wing. I didn't know what they meant.

And once again, before I could stop myself, I heard myself whisper, "Rose, I love you."

"You need to clean up," Mr. Potter was saying. I just looked up at him.

"It's been a day, Scorpius. A whole day. You and Albus are covered in blood. Go, please," Mr. Potter said. I turned away and looked meaningfully at the bed Rose was laying, comatose, on. I looked back up at Mr. Potter.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. That was Sunday.

Monday.

Mr. Potter convinced me and Al to go change. It didn't take much by that point. Mrs. Weasley sobbed at the sight of the blood, Mr. Weasley looked pissed, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter had sad but understanding looks.

Al and I walked to the Ravenclaw common room in complete silence. We'd both skivved off our classes, along with the entire Potter/Weasly family that currently attended Hogwarts. Currently, everyone should be in lunch, so no one would have to see (or smell) us.

We made it as far as our dorm before Al spoke.

"Whoever finishes first waits. We go back together."

I grunted in confirmation before entering one of the male bathrooms.

My clothes cracked with dried blood as I stripped. I refused to look at my body as I undressed. My hands, still stained a deep brownish-red, were the only part of my body I could stand to look at.

I let the warm water wash over me, finally looking down at my chest to see the dried blood reconstitute and the water turn a brilliant scarlet. I watched the water at my feet go from deep red, to pink, to clear.

Hygene be damned. I got the blood off, but not truly washing was much faster. Forgoing properly washing meant I could get back to Rose faster.

I dressed just as quickly. When I was done, I almost ran into Al, who was rushing like me.

We made it back to the Hospital Wing in record time, taking our same place on the floor in the corner with Sadie and Daphne. It was monotonus. It was mundane. It was our current routine.

Sit. Stare. Nod when spoken to. Eat a few bites to appease Mrs. Potter. Wallow in sorrow and worry.

Do it all again tomorrow.

It was Wednesday before we even heard news of Rose's condition.

According to my father, the spell had been Dark Magic. The caster wasn't proficient in it, and had most likely cast it non-verbally, so it wasn't as strong as it should've been. Severed arteries. Cut on a vertabrae. Damage to spinal chord. Physical therapy. Scaring.

It all blurred together. None of it made sense in my mind.

"But will she be ok?" I finally burst out. The parents looked at my dad, obviously wanting to know as well. My dad just stared at me.

"Ultimately, yes. But her recovery will be a long process," my dad said. He turned and addressed the Weasleys again.

"I've done everything I could for right now. We have to keep her in the coma in order for her body to regenerate and heal while the potions and spells take effect. I'm requesting she be moved to St. Mungo's so that i can keep a closer eye on her progress. It will also make it much easier to get the supplies she needs."

I felt cold. Move her? To London?

I felt someone grab my hand and squeeze. I turned and saw Daphne, her one hand in a vice grip in mine, the other clapped over her mouth, covering her sobs. I pulled her to me, holding her.

We needed the comfort. This was hard on us all. She loved Rose as much as I did, just differently.

The Weasleys were talking with all the Healers. I watched my father, just trying to clear my head.

There was nothing I could say or do. It wasn't my place. For all his faults, my father knew what was best in this situation. He wasn't St. Mungo's premier Healer for nothing.

Until I was eleven years old, I had never understood why my cold, calculating father had chosen to become a Healer. It wasn't until my first History lesson on the Second Wizarding War that I understood.

Although the reward of saving lives was great, the real, and first reason, he became a Healer was for redemption. I'd asked him, once when he still liked me. He told me that he realized, after the war, that he had no options. He was an ex-Death Eater, the son of a Death Eater, and his family had played a key part in the war, both in a good and a bad way. The people he was connected to and the people he knew weren't going to help him at all. He'd seen things and done things that he couldn't take back, and doing something worth while would not only provide for his family, but also help him give a bit back to the world he'd helped destroy.

Sometimes, I forgot this side of my dad when he was being particularly dick-like at "home".

We were ushered out as they prepared to take Rose to St. Mungo's. I helped Daphne up, and along with Sadie and Al, we exited the Wing.

"Scorpius!" Mrs. Weasley called from behind me. I turned, letting go of Daphne.

"Yes?" I asked politely. Mrs. Weasley pulled me into a tight hug. I hesitantly returned it.

"Thank you," she whispered so only I could hear.

"No, I... It was my fault, I couldn't save-," but I was cut off as she hugged me tighter.

"No. You are part of the reason she's alive. And," she took a sharp breath. "I know she loves you, too."

My eyes widened in response. "You heard..." I began.

"Yes," she said back, ending our hug. As she pulled back, she put her hand on my cheek in a motherly way, just looking at me with sad eyes, before turning away and meeting up with Mr. Weasley.

I looked at Mr. Weasley. He stared back. And then, surprising me, he gave me a quick nod before walking away with the Healers and Rose.

I turned and the four of us started off, walking in silence. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, but I wasn't very shocked when we ended up sitting under the beech tree, staring out at the lake, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

* * *

** AN: That was SO MUCH fun to write. For real. **

**Also, in the few days since last chapter, I, your loyal author...was made stage manager in drama! *squeals* **

**This shouldn't be problem, writing-wise. I'll still update. **

**This chapter, while not as happy as would be appropriate, is dedicated to one of my best friends, **_Versailles In August._** "You know who" a dickbitchhead and you are the rightful Captain :)**

Review, my lovelies, and you shall be rewarded extravagantly :)


	22. Of A Nightmare and A Recovery

**Disclaimer: No infringement intended, I swear. **

**Rose POV:**

_When I was little, my daddy would tell me bedtime stories about a princess named Rosie._

_She lived in a castle. She had a tiny mouse friend named Bobby. Bobby spoke with a high pitched voice and spoke in first person and always addressed the princess as 'Your Highness' and I loved these stories because Daddy's stories were always better than Mommy's because she always read from a book and Daddy made them up. _

_I think Daddy liked to incorperate some of his and mommy and uncle Harry's adventures that Teddy knew about but we weren't allowed to know. They said it was too scary._

_I never get scared. _

* * *

_When I had nightmare__s, I'd call for Daddy and he'd come running. He'd wake me up and I wouldn't be afraid anymore. He'd ask me about the dream. When I would finish telling him, he'd look me in the eye and say, "Always remember: they are just dreams. They aren't real. Say 'I can do anything'. I promise it will make you invincible."_

_I can do anything. I can do anything. I can do ANYTHING! _

* * *

_They were chasing me. I was running through a forest. But instead of lush, green trees and grass, it looked like a burnt, dead wasteland. The black, leafless trees were sticking straight out of the ground like thorns. The ground crunched sickeningly beneath my bare feet as I ran. I could feel the charred splinters in my feet, but I couldn't stop. _

_They'd catch me. _

_My heart was pounding painfully in my chest, my lungs protesting with every shallow breath I took. _

_I could hear their rasping breath, the gurgling noises they made as they tried to speak. _

_I couldn't keep running. The dread coarsed through me, peaking as the ground went from sandy ash to cold, black marble. Now, instead of the thudding crunch their steps made, I heard the revolting smacking sound their skin made against the new landscape. Ahead of me, I could see the delapitated remains of a building, its crumbling spires rising to meet the purple and blood-red twilight sky. _

_I ran into the building, slamming the door behind me, catching a glimpse of the Inferi in pursuit of me. I took involuntary gasps of breath as I walked backward away from the doors, the backs of my knees hitting a wooden...something, behind me. I jumped and spun around seeing the large and ornate room behind me. The pew I had almost tripped over was made of what used to be deep red cherry wood. Looking around I saw gold sconces on the walls, the dusty, ash-coated candle wax frozen in drips down the sides. The ceiling was high up, the old painting faded with time and missing in large chunks where the roof had crumbled away. A chandelier was handing sideways by its remaining two golden chains. The beautiful stained glass window was still intact, the remaining light from the sunset shone through, illuminating the church. _

_All the while, I could hear the chilling screeches and groans from the cursed dead bodies outside. They were scratching and pounding on the doors, trying to gain access. _

_I walked carefully toward the window, looking up at the immortilized picture before me. This wasn't like any normal church's stained glass. _

__

No, the people in the glass were obviously no saints or religious deities. I couldn't quite place them, though. There were five people in the center of the picture. The man in the middle was handsome, with white hair and metallic eyes. The girl to his left was also blonde, but with darker hair and jade eyes. The other man, to the blonde haired ones right had black hair and emerald eyes. Finally, the three were flanked by two girls, one with brown hair and the other was yet another blonde. They all held weapons. The two boys held swords, the blonde held his aloft while the raven-haired one's stuck in the ground before him, his hands wrapped around its hilt. The three girls weapons all differed. The two girls on the ends both held jeweled staffs, the blonde's silver spear decorated with rubies and the brunette's bronze one with emeralds.

I looked up at the familiar strangers in the picture. My eyes always went to the man in the middle. The sight of him calmed me. In fact, all of these people did. I just couldn't remember why.

I scanned the rest of the picture, my eyes tracing the lines of the clouds and the trees. I found myself smiling softly at the impact these people in the window had on me. I felt safe.

I then noticed where the girl's bow-and-arrow was aimed at. She had a fierce expression on her face, ready to shoot at the three hooded figures behind the five. Even though they wore cloaks of jet black, their faces were visible. They looked familiar, too, but I didn't know why. They were all male, the same age as the five. I didn't want to look at them any longer. They made me uneasy.

I looked back up at the pale blonde man. Instead of looking powerfully off toward the stained glass sunset, he was looking directly at me.

"Wake up, Rose. We need you...I need you," he said, his voice reverberating through out the room. The scratching at the door stopped before starting back up, even more ferverent than before.

"I...I can't... I'm not... I can't," I whispered, tears blurring my vision. Blinking them away, I stared intently up at the man in the glass.

"Yes, you can. You can because I need you, Rose!" His voice was more urgent than before. I shook my head.

The boy in the glass was about to speak when the doors burst open, Inferi pouring into the room. I screamed, backing up into the window.

"WAKE UP! REMEMBER! WAKE UP!" the boy was screaming.

I was screamming too. I could smell the decomposition from the bodies; it filled the room, choking me.

I was screaming uncontrolably, kicking and punching at the bodies as they grabbed at me. Their slimy flesh slipped over my ankles as the clamped on, trying to drag me with them.

"I REMEMBER!" I screamed to Scorpius as everything went pitch black once again.

****

Scorpius' PoV:

Rose was screaming, thrashing in her bed.

"Wake up!" several people were screaming. I for one was frozen. After weeks of nothing, Rose was finally showing true signs of life, no matter what my father claimed.

Her terrified screams rang through out the ward. Healers poured into the room, checking her vital signs or whatever. I looked at Sadie, Daphne. and Al in disbelief.

"HELP ME! SCORPIUS, SADIE, HELP ME!" she screamed. Sadie gasped, grabbing my arm and squeezing. I nodded, knowing she was looking at me. I couldn't take my eyes off of Rose, though.

"Miss Weasley! You are alright! You're in the hospital!" one of the Healers was saying. The others shushed him as Rose slowly calmed down.

The parents burst into the room, along with Lily and Hugo. The other cousins had come Easter Sunday, as a sort of sad family time. I went home and spent a quiet meal with my parents. It was Wednesday of Easter break, and Sadie, Daphne, and I were allowed as "close-family-friends".

"What's going on? Is she..." Mrs. Weasley's rants were cut off as Rose slowly opened her eyes and whispered, "Mum..."

"Oh my God! My baby! Oh Rosie!"

Mrs. Weasley, closely followed by her husband, dashed over to Rose's bedside.

"Oh my baby, my baby!" Mrs. Weasley was sobbing into a bemused looking Rose's shoulder, leaning over her in an odd position, seeing as Rose wasn't allowed to be moved in really any way.

Spinal injuries were serious shit.

My father pulled Mr. Weasley aside and was speaking to him quietly, with an urgent look on his face. Mr. Weasley nodded. As my father started to walk away, I saw Mr. Weasley clap him on the shoulder and say something. They looked at each other for a second before nodding in and understanding way. I followed my dad with my eyes as he motioned for the other Healers to step back before walking up to Rose's bedside, opposite to her mum.

"Rose, I'm Healer Malfoy. Now, I need to ask you some standard questions, okay?" Rose nodded, wincing slightly at the motion.

"What is you full name?" he asked.

"R-Rose Gin-Ginerv-va Wea-Weasle-ley," she stuttered, her voice raspy from lack of use. Her mum gently lifted a cup of water to her lips, helping her take a sip.

He asked her several more questions, like "what year is it?', 'when were you born?', 'who is the current Minister of Magic?", stuff like that, all of which she answered correctly.

"Now, Rose, I need you to tell me what happened." Father asked gently. Sadie, Al, and I, as well as several Quidditch players, had already told the Ministry officials and Healers what we'd seen. But understandably, Rose's version of what happened was important to the Healer's assesment of her health, too.

Rose took a deep breath, her eyes going up toward the ceiling.

"I had just gotten the Snitch. Scorpius and I were talking, when he saw something behind me and told me to duck. He tried to pull me out of the way, but the bludger hit me. I remember falling and screaming, before I passed out." Rose was breathing deeply, trying not to cry. Her mum was stroking her hair, looking at her with eyes filled with happiness and complete sadness as well.

"It wasn't a bludger, Rosie." Mrs. Weasley said softly, bracing Rose for the inevitable shock that was too come. Rose looked over at her, her eyes wide.

"Wh-What?" She asked. My father shooed the other Healers out of the room, sensing that a big family discussion was to come. He stayed though, coming over to stand next to me along the wall with Sadie, Daphne, Al, and Lily.

"Rose," Mr. Potter started, standing next to Rose's dad near her bedside. He cleared his throat before beginning again. Normally, a Healer would be the one telling the patient exactly why they were in the Hospital. But, my father and Rose's parents had made an agreement that, as long as my dad was in the room incase she flipped a shit, and Mr. Potter told her bracingly, it would be kept off the record.

I guess if you save the Wizarding world, you can even break medical protocol.

"Rose, you were hit by a curse," he said gently. Rose stared up at him, her mouth open slightly.

"I don't...I...What?" she breathed, her eyes darting to each of us in turn.

"Rose, the curse that you were hit with was Dark Magic. It was cast by a Death Eater." Mr. Potter said. Rose's eyes bugged out of her head. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she was trying to speak but couldn't.

"But they're...He's gone! You killed him!" Rose tried to shout, although it only came out as a hoarse croak. Mr. Potter looked distinctly uncomfortable at her words, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Rose, He might be gone, but his followers are still out there." Mr. Weasley said, his hands in his pockets.

"But...But why me?" she asked, but before they could state the obvious, she answered her own question.

"Oh, God, it's because I'm your kid! It's the three of your fault!" she screamed, tears starting to fall down her face. Mr. Potter blanched while Mrs. Weasley clamped a hand over her mouth to hold back her sobs. Mr. Weasley looked out the window, refusing to acknowledge Rose's proclaimation.

"Go away." Rose whispered, her eyes shut tight. "Please, just leave me alone, all of you."

****

Rose's POV:

__

I hate them. I hate them. OUCH! I hate them.

I chanted over and over in my head, refusing to look at any of them, including my friends, as I listened to them leave.

I opened my eyes when I heard the door close, my vison blurry from the stupid tears.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. My head snapped to the right to look, my new..._scar_, burning in retaliation.

"You really shouldn't do that," Draco Malfoy, my Healer, said. I glared at him.

"I told everyone to get out. That meant you, too," I said back, my voice cracked and rough. Malfoy rolled his eyes, snorting.

"Well, as influential as your family is, you can't dictate every aspect of this hospital's medical procedure," he said. "You need constant supervision, so that you don't re-open your wound."

I winced at his words.

"What...exactly...was I hit with?" I asked, wanting to hear the answer from someone who hadn't caused this.

"Are you sure you're ready to hear it?" Mr. Malfoy asked, setting the clipboard with my records down before sitting in a chair near the foot of my bed. I looked at him, clenching my jaw as I nodded.

"Don't do that," he demanded. I didn't need telling twice, as the white-hot pain shot across my back again.

"The curse you were hit with was a cross between two dark spells, one that leaves deep cuts and another that made hard-to-heal internal injurys." he told me, obviously dumbing it down for me. "The curse left a deep wound, from your left rib to right shoulder blade. We've been able to heal it, layer by layer, I guess you could say," at this, he caught my look of confused apprehension.

"We'll we couldn't heal it all at once. The curse knicked your vertabrae and severed several arteries around your spinal chord. The damage it did to you was resistant to potion-healing, so I had to heal each individual piece of damage before we could start healing the actual cut. Your internal wounds are all healed now, but we're just now able to start healing the surface of the wound. You've been in a...coma of sorts for a month as we healed your back," he finished. I felt my mouth drop in shock. _A month_?

"When...When can I go back to school?" I croaked, staring intently at my hands which were twisting around my white sheet.

"We're thinking in about a week, so right when Easter break ends. In that time, you'll need some physical therapy to regain the use of your limbs and you'll need to get used to solid foods again. We've been feeding you intraveiniously, a Muggle method that we've found to work rather well on comatose patients," he said, gesturing to the tube coming out of the inside of my elbow. I hadn't noticed it, but I had also only truly been using my left arm. I knew what an IV was, since I'd visited my maternal Grandfather in the hospital after his heart attack a year and a half ago.

"So you're saying that I'm healed enough to where I've just got to relearn how to walk, feed myself, that sort of stuff, right?" I asked, still not looking at Mr. Malfoy.

"Yes, and the process should be relatively quick, since you've only been unconscious for a month. But you're really going to have to get used to the pain...and the scar." he added. I blinked back tears.

"How bad is it? Honestly?" I whispered.

Mr. Malfoy took a deep breath. "I'm not going to tell you this as your Healer. I'm going to speak to you as my son's...friend, alright?" I nodded.

"Right now, it looks bad because it only finished closing three days ago. Its a long scar, Rose. It stretches across your back. It...It's never going to go away, Rose." He said. I understood that, for him, the way he'd just spoken to me wasn't as my Healer. It was as my "friend's father". But his voice was still almost just as detatched and clinical as his Healer's voice. I wasn't sure if he had a nicer, more gentler tone of voice, but I appreciated the fact that he was treating me as an adult.

"Thank you." I said. Mr. Malfoy looked at me shrewdly.

"For what?" he asked.

I fully looked at him, this time. I no longer had tears in my eyes, so I was able to see him clearly. He and Scorpius looked alike, but there were obvious differences. Mr. Malfoy had none of the warmth in his demeanor that I'd come to find in Scorpius. Although they shared hair and general eye color, Scorpius' features were much more aristocratic and haughty, where as his father's were pointed and cold. They truly were two completey different entities.

"Just thank you," I said. He looked at me skeptically before starting to walk away.

"Aren't you going to say you're welcome?" I called as loudly as I could in my croaky voice.

I heard his mirthless laugh once before he turned back around.

"Your family is going to burst in here the second I leave. I'd fake sleep, if I were you," he said before striding out the door to my room. I barely had time to think before I heard my mother's voice getting closer to the door.

Taking his advice, I closed my eyes, but my thoughts were too jumbled for me to really even begin to fall asleep.

* * *

**AN: I really like this chapter, especially the dream. **

**Not much else to say...**

**Remember, suggestions, criticism, praise, and new ideas are always welcome. You guys constantly give me the inspiration for this story, so thank you.**

**Love it, hate it, leave it in a review.**

**:)**


	23. Of Rose and Victrola's Scars

**AN: SORRY BUT SADIE AND SCORP WILL NEVER EVER BE TOGETHER!**

**Had to get that out there. **

**Disclaimer: I, **_The Night Sings Alone_**, intend no infringement on anyone's copyright. 'Kay?**

**Rose's PoV:**

"Okay, Miss Weasley, you're free to go. Congratulations on your speedy recovery!" The overtly cheery Assistant Healer called to me as she grabbed the last of my paperwork and left my ward.

I groaned, throwing my legs over my bedside and cautiously stood up. Thankfully, Mr. Malfoy had allowed my parents to bring me my own pajamas as I went through rehabilitation. I think he got tired of my constant complaints. No more backless gowns for me. I was able to wear comfy pajama pants and old Quidditch jerseys all week. Awesome. It was awesome.

Even though I could now walk, write, feed myself, and all of that other mundane crap, they were letting me go back to school. Mr. Malfoy and I both knew that even though I'd fought to regain my normal functions, I was still in tremendous amounts of pain. The pain came and went, but when it happened, it was excruciating.

"You're too noble. Just like your unc..." Malfoy trailed off at my glower. He was about to compare me to my Uncle Harry. My loathing of him and my parents had deepened since I'd gotten the full backstory of why I'd been targeted. It intensified since they still had no idea who it even was that hit me. At least, if they did, they weren't about to tell me.

"Look, at least take your pain potions," Malfoy said in exasperation. Over the days, I'd only allowed him to help me. It really was only because he didn't baby me. He treated me like an adult, unlike the other Healers and nurses. They were all "Very good Miss Weasley!" and "Superb progress, Miss Weasley!". It made me gag. If I'd stayed with them, I'd still be re-learning to walk today instead of going home. Malfoy told me straight when I was wrong, and made me redo it until I was right. I'd learned to walk again in five non-stop hours and after that, I was only recovering even faster.

"As your Healer, I really suggest you take them. It won't make you weak." He said, looking at me as I shoveled my breakfast down. Taking a big gulp of orange juice, I looked up at him.

"I know that. The pain reminds me that whoever it is is still out there and that there are others, just like them." I said, looking down at his shoes to avoid the inevitable eye roll and sneer that was sure to come.

I heard him take a deep breath. He walked toward me and set the glass bottle of my pain potion down on my bedside table.

I looked up at him. He was just staring at me. I won't say I particularly liked Malfoy, but we had a mutual understanding respect for each other. He understood why I was acting the way I was about my scar, and I understood the way he acted. But he wasn't Scorpius. Although I came to see the various similarities between them, what made them different was much more obvious. He lacked Scorpius' warmth and compassion toward other people, as well as his understanding of what not to say in certain situations. Although I'd appreciated not being babied, some empathy would've been nice. It was the times when Malfoy made an unsymapthetic remark and was unapologetic about it that I really missed Scorpius. All of my friends, really. Especially because it was them that woke me up.

I recalled only vague memories of the dream...well, nightmare, that woke me up, but what stuck out most were the two major factors: 1. I had been chased by Inferi; 2. My friends were in it. Not my blood-related family (except Albus), but my friends.

I jumped when I heard the door open and saw my brother standing there. I smiled. Hugo was the only family I allowed into my ward anymore, again, except for Albus. Sadie, Daphne, and Scorpius had come with him to visit on Friday. It was a fun visit, but there was an air of awkward apprehension to talk about what had happened that had marred it.

"I'll leave you now, Rose." Malfoy said. He nodded to me before striding out of my room, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, Hugo." I said, grinning happily at my brother. He raised his eyebrows.

"You look like crap," he said. I snorted, throwing my pillow at him.

"I've been in the hospital for a month and only started properly showering this week, with out real soap. Excuse me," I drawled at him. Hugo rolled his eyes. He walked over to me, sliding a bag off his shoulder and dropping it on my bed. I opened it to find real clothes. I sighed happily.

"Thanks, Hugh." I said. He shrugged and flopped down on my bed, extracting a copy of this mornings Prophet out of the side pocket of the bag. Flipping it open, he began to read. I shook my head as I gathered the bag and headed into the bathroom to get ready to leave.

After fully pulling out the clothes and looking at them, I groaned.

"Hugo! Who packed for me?" I called, staring at a old gray t-shirt, a pair of boxers, ripped jeans, two bras, three pairs of underwear, and three unmatched socks.

"I did! Why?" he called back. I shook my head in exasperation. It made sense now. Judging by the fact that they were all folded neatly, I surmised that Hugo had grabbed half of a stack of clean clothes Mum placed on my bed and threw it in a bag, not paying true attention to what he grabbed.

"Thanks, Hugh," I said sarcastically.

I undressed, and before I could think it through this time, I turned my back to the mirror and looked at the scar. After a brief glance. I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my jaw to stiffle the cry of agony. Oh, Gods, it was horrible. This was my first time truly seeing it. Every other time, I'd avoided the mirror all together. I didn't want to see the dark purple circles under my eyes. I didn't want to see the hollow, dead look I'd recently gained in my face. And I really didn't want to see the bruised scar on my back. But even if I looked at myself face forward in the mirror, I'd see it. It wrapped around me. It started from the top of my right shoulder and ended on the left side of my ribcage.

But now I was seeing it for the first time. And it was worse than I'd imagined. There were deep purple and blue bruises around my shoulder, from where I took the brutal first impact of the curse. The brusing faded as the scar wrapped around my back, with only faint yellow and purple splotches on my ribs.

The scar itself was horrendous in its own right. It was a long, curving line, pink-white that was thicker at its start, on my shoulder. It spun around, not wanting to see it any longer.

I wiped my tears on the back of my hand. _Stop this, Rose. Wallowing in self-pity will NOT change anything._ Taking a deep breath, I continued on with my routine.

Showering and dressing quickly (avoiding my scar in the process and only wincing with pain once), I re-entered the room to see Hugo exactly where I'd left him: on my bed, reading. Tossing the bag on a nearby chair, I walked up to Hugo and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Who's taking us home?" I asked in a sorry attempt at casual. Hugo laughed once before folding the paper up and tossing it aside.

"Mum and Dad. They're in the lobby." he said. Noticing my look, he spoke again.

"Rose, you really can't blame them for what happened," he said matter-of-factly. I snorted.

"Yes. I can. And I do," I said. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't... I wouldn't have this _thing_ on my back."

Hugo laughed bitterly and swung himself off the bed, shaking his head at me.

"You know, Rose, I understand completely why you feel this way, I really do. And I admire your courage and bravery at the way your handling every aspect of this situation. Except who your blaming. You're wrong. It isn't Mum and Dad and Uncle Harry's fault. Not completely. And not in the way you're insinuating. Yes, it wouldn't of happened if you weren't their knid, but our world would be so much worse with out them. The fact that they're the reason it happened in general is their fault, but they had no control over the situation. But the real person you should be pissed at is the guy who did it. Stop being such a bitch to Mum and Dad. Did you know Mum cried that day you kicked us out? No? Well she did. and she hasn't stopped crying since," Hugo proclaimed, breathing heavily. I don't think he'd spoken so many words in one go...ever, least of all to me.

"I'm... I'm so-" I started.

"Stop. Please. Don't be sorry. But be aware of how your headstrong actions make our parents feel. They were already blaming themselves long before you yelled at them," Hugo finished. He grabbed the bag and threw it over his shoulder, leading me out of the room.

"When did you get to be so smart, Hugh?" I said, smiling sadly at him. Since there were people around, he didn't verbally respond. He just grinned and rolled his eyes.

We walked in silence until we reached the lobby. There, we met up with our parents. My mum smiled hesitantly at me. She looked tired, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. I felt so guilty. I realized how...cruel I'd been to them. I understood that it wasn't truly their faults. I darted forwards into Mum's arms and fought the urge to wail with misery.

"I'm sorry, Mum," I whispered. She sobbed and cautiously hugged me back, avoiding my scar.

"It's alright, baby. I understand. And, I'm so sorry, too," Mum whispered back.

I nodded before pulling out of the hug and looking at Dad. "I'm sorry, Dad. Really," I said to him. He nodded, pulling me into a hug. He accidentally brushed the scar, sending pain through my back. I managed to bite back the hiss of pain.

"Ok, let's get going." Dad said after a minute. Hugo and I followed. We made it to the Burrow in record time, driving to our house first and Flooing there to raucious 'Welcome home!' cheers. Someone had obviously forwarned the family, because no one hugged me. I did recieve a ton of pats on the (good) shoulder.

On the way home from the hospital, I'd dreaded this. I didn't want to face any pitying looks or looks of symapathy. But it was well worth the visit. I secretly think my Uncle George and cousin Freddie were the masterminds behind the way my family was acting. Everyone was making light of it, which I was supremely happy for.

Uncle George was cracking jokes the whole time, insisting we start a society for Weasley's with scars. He said I was now in the same league as him, Uncle Harry and Uncle Bill. Grandma wasn't pleased with the morbid humor, but soon got used to it, seeing as Uncle George got worse with every reprimand.

"Uncle Harry, can I talk to you?" I asked him quietly as the festivities began to wind down. Uncle Harry nodded and followed me into the abandoned kitchen.

"Uh, I'm.. Sorry. Its not your fault. You know, what happened. It.. I was just in shock and I realized now when Hugo yelled at me and I'm just really sorry," I said in one breath. Uncle Harry smiled at me, and shrugged.

"Its alright, Rose, I get it." Uncle Harry said. We started to walk out of the kitchen together when Uncle Harry paused and asked, "Did you say Hugo yelled at you?"

I just laughed and continued on, rejoining the rest of the family. We left about an hour later, since school restarted the next day. It wasn't until I was getting ready for bed when the soreness set it. It was like I'd completely forgotten about the scar until I was alone in my room. It started out just being tender, but as I went to lay down, it became excruciating. I guess that I'd been pumped full of pain potions during my hospital stay, because I didn't remember it being this bad. It was like the time back in second year when I burned my finger on my cauldren. It blistered and I thought I would be ok since cold water made it feel so much better. But as the burn reached room temperture, it became horribly painful. This was a similar feeling, but on a much larger scale. I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Giving in, I threw my legs over the side of my bed and stood up. Flipping on a light, I searched for the duffle bag from today. I upended it, the laundry I'd neglected tumbling out onto the floor. Dropping to my knees, I searched through it, looking for the purple bottle of potion.  
After a few minutes of pointless searching, I found it in the side pocket of the bag. I had to search for my dosage because of all the writing on the damn label.  
"_Prescribed by: Hlr. D. Malfoy...Patient: Rose Weasley... Extra Strength Pain Relieving Potion... For use for pain relief from: recently healed burns, bites, as well as intense Severing Charms, Stinging Hexes, and other types of spells as the Healer sees fit. _  
_Do not drink while flying..._Ugh, no.._Not to be taken with other extra-strength potions.._Merlin! Where is it!_..Do not mix with alchohol..._Finally! _Directions: Do not drink more than one tablespoon every four hours. Should tolerance build up, please contact your Healer."_

I took my tablespoon-full and felt instant relief. Damn. I couldn't believe I almost left this at the hospital. As I went to put the bottle in my school bag for tomorrow, I noticed a hand written note: _See school Matron for refill. _I shrugged, not really caring as I was so tired.

* * *

"Did you hear? She's got a nasty scar from it!"  
"Well, you're not a true Weasley or Potter with out one!"  
"I heard she got a tattoo to cover it. Yeah! A dragon!"

"Ignore them, Rose," Scorpius said as we walked down the Transfiguration hallway to the deserted classroom where my friends were helping me catch up on my school work. I'd endured the whispers and gossip all day. Mostly I just rolled my eyes at the little brats who were doing it.

"I heard they're dating now!" I heard a second year Slytherin whisper to her friends. Scorpius and I both stopped and turned to stare at them. The one that had said it squeaked and ran off, her friends following. Scorpius laughed and started off down the hallway again. When I didn't follow, he turned back around.

"Rose, what's wrong?" He asked, clueless as can be.

"Didn't you hear that girl?" I asked. He shrugged and leaned up against the wall.

"Yeah, so?" he said. I looked at him.

"What?" he said, exasperated.

I rolled my eyes and marched up to him.

"Are we?" I asked meaningfully.

"Are we what?" he asked, throwing his arms up.

"Dating." I said, putting my hands on my hips. Scorpius just stared at me. I suddenly felt myself go red. I was out for a month; what if he'd found someone else, someone with a less neurotic family. I felt sick to my stomach with embarassment. How could I have assumed we could just pick things up where they left off, with out talking about it?

"Uh, nevermind," I mumbled, ducking my head and pushing passed him. I squeezed my hands around the strap of my bag. Oh my God. I was so humiliated.

"Rose, wait!" I heard Scorpius call from behind me. I didn't stop. I heard his footsteps as he ran to catch up with me. He didn't stop until he was right next to me, and even then I kept walking.

"Rose, stop!" he said, turning so that he was infront of me.

"Look at me, please," he said softly. I kept staring at my shoes. I felt his hand under my chin and allowed him to turn my face upwards so that I was looking at him.

"I froze because...well, I wasn't sure you were ready...after what happened," he said, looking uncomfortable and actually kind of vulnerable.

"I am, though. I just... I didn't know if... while I was...in a coma... you found someone better," I mumbled. Scorpius looked at me in bewilderment, as if he was a fraid for my sanity. Maybe he was. I felt like I was loosing it these days, anyway.

"Rose, there's no one I'd rather be with. No. One." he said firmly. I rolled my eyes and made a noise of disagreement.

"Why though?" I asked, wanting to know, not out of jealousy or anything, but because I was legitimatly curious.

Scorpius laughed, "Why not! You're headstrong, smart, funny, gorgeous, witty, a great Quidditch player, and...just tons of other things that I could list as I notice them."

I felt myself smile, like I have been in the almost four months since I stopped seeing him as someone I hated. In these past four months, he'd made me feel beautiful, wanted...just plain amazing.

"So..." he said, smirking in that cocky, slightly arrogant way of his that drove me crazy.

"So." I said back, staring him down.

Scorpius shook his head and wrapped his arms around my waist. I dropped my bag on the floor, putting my good arm around his neck.

"So, is that a yes?" He asked. I pretended to think for a minute.

Scorpius groaned and leaned in for a kiss. I turned away and he kissed my cheek. "I didn't answer yet!" I chastised. Scorpius rolled his eyes and I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him.

"Yes," I said simply. He grinned. He leaned down for another kiss. We were about to take the kiss deeper when the door to the classroom next to us opened and Sadie and Freddie stepped out. Scorpius and I jumped a part, and Sadie and Freddie dropped hands as if burned. But it was painfully obvious what they'd been doing. Freddie's hair was a mess. Not to mention the huge mark on Sadie's neck. They both blushed, Freddie's not as noticable, though, with his darker skin.

"Uh...Ahem. I'll just be going." Freddie said uncomfortably to Scorpius and me. He looked back at Sadie and his demeanor changed. He winked and Sadie giggled girily back. Scorpius and I looked at each other in shock at Freddie leaned down to kiss Sadie good bye.

"Wow. Why didn't you say anything?" I asked Sadie. She looked at me and huffed.

"He's your cousin. I didn't want it to be weird." she said. I bumped her with my hip.

"Sadie! I'm happy for you! Really." I said. She smiled at me.

"You could've at least told me," Scorpius said in mock-hurt. Sadie laughed and linked arms with us.

"Aw! I'm sorry," she said. "But, if I recall, I seemed to have stumbled upon something too. Everything ok with you two? Because, from my stand point, it looked like things were going rather well," she said meaningfully.

Scorpius and I looked straight ahead, but we were both fighting, unsuccessfully, to hide smirks.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

Tuesday.

My second day back from school.

And already it's getting to me. The stares. The whispers. The rumors.

You'd think I'd be used to it, seeing as my parents are the co-saviours of the Wizarding World. And yes, in the begining of the school year, I'm always stared at by the first years. I'm whispered about amongst them. Sometimes, like when one of us is dating someone new or does something spectacular in a Quidditch game, for instance, we get talked about just a bit more.

Unfortunately, I was now the topic of rumor mill foder for both those reasons.

"Yeah, she and Scorpius Malfoy are, like, dating!"  
"No. Way." "Way."  
"OhmyGod! But he's so gorgeous!"  
"I know. Lucky bitch."

I rolled my eyes as I shoved past three Ravenclaw fifth years, gossiping about me, and into the bathroom. Thankfully, it was Moaning Myrtle's, so it was deserted.

Or so I thought.

As set my bag on the sink, I saw someone behind me. Extracting my wand and whirling around, I faced the person.

"Shit, Weasley! I'm not about to attack you in the fucking bathroom!" Victrola Slater shouted, clutching her chest and looking frightened. I narrowed my eyes, but lowered my wand. She tracked it's location until I had it safely stowed in my bag again.

"Thank Merlin," she sighed, before striding over to a mirror a few sinks away from me and beginning to fix her make-up.

"Albus wouldn't be to happy with me if I hexed you," I told her quietly, trying to be as polite to her as possible. Since the school year started, we really hadn't fought at all, something I'm sure the teachers noticed.

After I'd spoken, she froze, her hand halfway to her lips with a tube of cherry-red gloss.

"He told you?" she asked, not meanly, but more shocked than anything. I nodded. "Don't worry, I haven't said anything to anyone."

Victrola nodded, swallowing before turning to look at her reflection.

"Why'd he tell you? I mean, it's not exactly common cousin-ly conversation," she asked. She chuckled and I looked at her, confused. "I realized the alliteration in that sentence..." she trailed off, looking embarassed.

"He was...explaining...secret relationships to me," I supplied, finding the nicest way possible to answer her question with out insulting her. She stopped fixing her face and looked down, despondant.

"He was warning you against them, wasn't he?" she asked quietly. I really didn't want to incriminate Albus by answering, so I just didn't say anything.

"Your silence says it all," she whispered. I suddenly felt really bad. I still disliked her strongly, but a part of me felt for her.

"He really loves you, you know," I tried desperately. Victrola gave a watery chuckle. I grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser and silently passed them to her.

"Thanks," she said, taking them.

"Look, Sla-Victrola," I started. She laughed a bit at that. "I really don't like you, but my cousin, whom I consider one of my best friends on top of my family, really loves you. I don't get why, but he does. This whole secret thing...not working out so much, is it? Just go public. If Scorpius and I can, you and Albus sure as hell can."

"Weasley, its not that easy. You guys are like, made for each other. I'm already the slutty bitch in Slytherin who is friends with the Famous Harry Potter's son. I'll be the slutty, bitchy whore who is, like, taking advantage of his fame or some messed up shit like that. You and Scorp are already famous, in your own rights," she said, sniffling. I rolled my eyes.

"Really, Slater? I thought you be stronger than that. You've been the topic of worse rumor, whispers, and stares, I'm sure," I said. "Hell, that would be much better than what I've had to endure these passed two days! Not to mention, I can't even play Quidditch because of this goddamn scar!" I shouted, letting out some of today's pent up anger.

She looked at me critically. "You're right. I'm the baddest bitch here," she said. I rolled my eyes, but let her continue.

"And, the scar will get much less painful, trust me," she added, throwing her make up bag in her school bag. I raised my brows.

"Really, and what would you know?" I asked. She looked at me in the mirror with harsh eyes before turning around and lifting her shirt in one motion. I just stared at her. She huffed and said, "Just look at my hip, Weasley."

I snorted at her demanding tone but looked. Right across her hip bone and leading under her skirt's waist band was a scar, the same width as my scar. It was clearly an old scar, because it was pale white against her tanner skin.

"How? Who?" I asked, looking up at her in shock.

"That's my business," she spat before pulling her shirt down again. "But, trust me, scars don't define us. They make us stronger. So stop being a whiny bitch about yours. Yeah, it's painful, and yeah, you'll have it forever, but don't you dare complain. At least you're alive," she hissed angrily before storming out of the bathroom.

I stood there in shock for a moment. Because of all the people who have tried to talk to me about how, well, whiny I've been about my scar, Victrola-fucking-Slater was the one to really make me understand.

Damn it.

* * *

****

Review, please, my amazing

**readers :)**


	24. Of Night Skies and Stars

**Disclaimer: I, **_The Night Sings Alone_**, intend no infringement on anyone's copyright. 'Kay?**

**AN: Stress is not fun. You all still love me, right? Well, I'm making it up to you all, just in case, with some adorable fluffy Rose/Scorp action. **

**SPOV:**

"What are we doing this summer?" Rose asked one Saturday while Al, Sadie, Daphne, Rose and I were lazily lounging under the beech tree by the lake. I was laying with my head on Sadie's stomach, with Rose's head on mine, Daphne's on hers, and Al laying on Daphne's. Several groups of students had come up to sit here and had discovered our odd chain. They mostly just rolled their eyes and walked away.

"Three words: London night clubs," Sadie said. Al and I both sat up briefly to stare at her in disbelief.

"So like last summer, then?" Daphne asked. Sadie laughed and cried, "Hell yes!"

I flopped back down and stared up at the branches of the tree above me.

"What're you talking about?" I asked. Rose was the one who answered.

"All last summer, Sadie and Daphne went out practically every night with Daphne's older brother and some of his friends to clubs," she explained, her voice dripping with a bitter tone.

"Awe, Rosie! You know we wanted you there with us every night!" Daphne said.

"Mhmm," Rose chidled. "But, really, we need to do it again this summer. I'm coming of age this year, so I won't have to worry about my dad saying no."

"Well, if you had snuck out like I did, you wouldn't have had to worry about that," Sadie replied.

"Good thing you didn't Rose. Uncle Ron would have flipped out. Imagine the awkward family dinners then," Al laughed.

"So, it's agreed then, yeah? We'll be going out this summer?" Daphne asked.

"I'm in," Rose said immediately. Sadie gave her affirmation as well. Al agreed to go next, albeit a bit reluctantly.

"Scorpie, what about you?" Sadie cooed at me, ruffling my hair. I pinched her calf in annoyance and sighed.

"Come on, Scorpius! It'll be a good way for us to hang out, just the five of us," Rose pleaded. I looked at her. Her blue eyes were wide, and I just felt myself giving in.

"Alright. " I agreed.

Rose looked up at me and smiled. I felt myself grinning back like a fool. Sometimes that just happened when I was with my girl.

"Thank you," she whispered. I sat up on my elbows a bit and looked down at her. There were times when I would just look at her and feel so completely happy. Like, it didn't matter that my dad was an asshat and my mum cried all the time. It didn't matter that Rose's father didn't truly approve of our relationship. I just felt so content with my life and it all came back to the fact that I had my girl. And she was. My girl, I mean. It was a bit sexist, yeah, but I couldn't help that. She was mine and no other guy could have her.

"Jesus, mate. She's still my cousin," Al grumbled. Sadie and Daphne burst into raucious laughter at our expense as Rose blushed and covered her face with her hands. I glared at Al and smacked him on the back of the head.

The laughter died down after a bit and we found ourselves still laying there, staring at a slowly setting sun. Poetic.

"A month and a half left of school," Rose sighed. I knew she was dying for this year to be over as much as I just wanted to stay at Hogwarts forever. Even though two months had passed since the accident, Rose had grown increasingly more cynical and bitter about certain things. She had been forbidden to play Quidditch until next year by the school matron and, by extension, Freddie. He cited "fear for her health" as why he wouldn't let her play. Sadie had told me that Freddie would have let her play, but he had been pressured by the family into keeping her off the team. We weren't exactly who "family" included, but it didn't change the fact that Rose was supremely upset, rightfully, about her banishment from her team.

"Yeah. Two and a half months. And then, it'll be our last year here," Daphne sighed.

"Seventeen. Of age. Damn," Al said wistfully. There was a huff and Sadie shifted irritably.

"Are you two really reminicing over there? _Really?_ Like, oh! Dear! We'll be graduating in a year and no one will be there to spoon feed us the answers to life!" Sadie drawled sardonically. Personally, I agreed with her sentiments, and, judging by the subtle look Rose and I shared, she did as well. As much as I loved the castle, I honestly couldn't wait to graduate and live freely, as an adult.

"Oh, shut it, Sadie. I bet you a Galleon you'll be bawling the last day of school," Al said. Sadie barked a bitter laugh.

"Make it twenty. You'll be eating your words, Potter," she said. Al and Sadie shook on it, stating that us three were their witnesses.

"Ugh, you guys, enough. It's late and Brawley will kill us if he catches us," Daphne yawned, standing up and brushing herself off. The other four started off to the castle, leaving me and Rose behind.

"C'mon, Weasley. Let's go," I pleaded. As much as I considered rules beneath me, Brawley was a bitch to deal with at night because his various medical ailments acted up and this caused malicious punishments to ensue.

"No, please, just let me look at the stars," Rose pleaded, still sprawled on the ground. I sighed and plopped back onto the grass. Our friends were long gone now, so it was just me and Rose outside.

"They aren't even out yet, Weasley," I said. Rose ignored me and stared determinedly at the sky above her.

"You know, the sunset isn't even the prettiest part of the sky. It's the affect it has on the clouds it leaves behind. Like, sure orange and red are pretty to see around the sun, but the purples, blues and pinks that surround that are much more beautiful. Especially when those colors mix with the stars that peek through them. I just wish I could...I don't know, take a picture of it. But not just any picture. I wish I could have a constant view of that sky, so that when things get so dark and scary, I could look at my view of that sky and remember that there's still some beauty left in the world," Rose told me. I just stared at her, at a loss as to what I could say to that.

I sat there with my girl until night fully came. Even then, she didn't get up. She just layed there, staring, with a thoughtful and mistified expression on her face.

"Weasley, it's time to go in," I whispered. I'm not sure why I whispered, but something about the setting made it appropriate.

"Not until you lay with me, just for a moment," she said. I rolled my eyes but obliged her, moving until we lay side-by-side, our arms pressed against each other. I could hear her rhythmic breathing in addition to the crickets and owls and the slow rush of the lake's tides. I'll admit, I felt a bit... relaxed. I liked the feeling being there with Rose, in that moment, and not worrying about the things outside our little bubble of tranquility.

"Now, just breathe," Rose whispered. I stared up at the midnight blue of the sky with my girl, just like she'd asked. Normally, stars remind me of two things at once: Astronomy class and pureblood supremacy. The class because, you know, thats all we do; we stare at a bunch of twinkly constellations and shit for an hour. Purebloods because, well, naming your kids after flaming balls of gas was our thing. For instance, I'm named after Scorpius, the Scorpion. My dad is Draco, the Dragon. My great aunt Bellatrix was named after a star, my other great aunt Andromeda and "cousins" Sirius and Regulus after constellations, and my Mum's name comes from the Greek titan Asteria, goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars. There are even more, not even just in my family. So stars don't exactly have the greatest connotations to me.

I turned and looked at her. She was still staring up at the sky, the stars reflecting in her eyes. I guess she noticed me staring, because she turned her head to look at me.

"What?" she whispered, her nose crinkling in the cute way I loved. I shifted forward and kissed her, nothing too intense. Just a soft kiss. When I pulled away, her eyes remained closed and she had a soft, content smile on her face.

"Promise me something," she whispered, opening her eyes and staring intensely at me. I felt my face screw up skeptically, but I nodded anyway.

"Yeah, what?" I said back.

She bit her lip in contemplation before speaking.

"Promise me you'll kiss me under the stars like this again, no matter what," she said. I looked back at her. The optimistic part of me wanted to say yes, but the realistic/pessimistic part of me wanted to point out that there was a chance we'd break up. I never promised the girls I dated anything future-wise, since I normally viewed them as short lived toys. But since what I had with Rose was, well, different, and I actually wanted to do right by her, I felt myself giving in.

"I promise."

* * *

**Review, my beautiful readers, and I will give you a sneak peak of the sequel in the next chapter ;) **


	25. Of A Date and A Sneak Peek

**Disclaimer: I, **_The Night Sings Alone_**, intend no infringement on anyone's copyright. 'Kay?**

**AN: Here, enjoy some little drabbly-things while I finish applying to college. By the way, thats why I haven't updated in a month or so. I really enjoy your demands for updates (*sarcasm*). To those who were supportive in their wait, I apologize whole heartedly for the long absence. Anyone who has or is applying to college knows how stressful it is. URGHGFDHJGFDHGFD! Its so unorganized! Especially if you don't have any guidance counselors or anything to help you. **

**Yeah, it's a short chapter, but the sneak peek makes up for it :) The sneak peek is at the end, in italics. **

**Rose's PoV:**

Exams are a hectic, stressful, irritating, agrivating and completely annoying part of my scholastic life. I was glad to have just finished mine.

"Hey, Weasley," Scorpius called from behind me. I slowed my pace to the beech tree, allowing him to catch up.

"Malfoy," I replied, smiling indulgently up at him. We still called each other by our surnames as a joke, in a way. We both hated the idea of pet names. I refused to let him call me 'Rosie-Posie' and I would never utter 'Scorpie' in my life.

"So, Hogsmeade weekend coming up. What are we doing?" Scorpius asked lazily, throwing himself down on the grass and laying back, using his bag as a pillow. I sat adjacent to him, Indian-style.

"What makes you think we're doing anything?" I asked cooly. He opened a single eye, still conveying his amusement at my retaliation to his advances.

"Look, Weasley, we haven't had a single date yet in the two months we've been dating. I think we're ready to take that step," he replied sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"Chivalry isn't dead, you know," I retorted. He let loose a hearty guffaw.

"C'mon, Rose! You're my girlfriend, I don't need to ask," he cried, still laughing. When I didn't respond, his smile slowly melted off. I was keeping up a stony front, staring at him with an expressionless face.

"Do I?" he asked uncertainly. I just kept staring.

Scorpius huffed. "Ok, fine," he huffed, running a hand through his hair as he thought.

"Rose Weasley, may I please be obliged with a first date, my lovely, beautiful, amazing girlfriend, who I thank Merlin for everyday, and am not deserving of in the least?" Scorpius bellowed regally, a hand over his heart, drawing scandalized glares from our lazily sunbathing neighbors.

I burst into laughter, nodding at his antics.

"So that's settled, then," Scorpius yawned, plopping back down. I rolled my eyes, but planted a quick kiss on his lips, in a show of quiet thanks at his oblige of my request.

**_AND NOW FOR YOUR SNEAK PEEK OF THE SEQUEL TO 'Three Words, Eight Letters'_**

______

"What's going on? What-" The shop owner was cut off by the sounds of screams coming from the village. He looked at us in alarm before extracting his wand, and against our protests, ran out of the door and into the chaos we'd brought with us.

"What do we do now?" Victrola lamented, still panting from the run to the village. We all looked at each other just as an explosion sounded from somewhere down Main Street. Renewed screams and lights from spells flashed from the shops front windows. We all ran to the back of the store, hiding in the racks of robes. There was scuffling coming from around the store and then whispered arguing between Albus and Victrola.

"Is everyone okay?" I called softly. Four other affirmations came from the robe racks. We quieted, hiding out in the store.

"By the way, I locked the front door," Victrola whispered.

"Is that what you were doing a few minutes ago?" Sadie asked.

"Uh, sure," came Victrola's uneasy reply.

"What-" Sadie began but was cut off by a strange whitling scream from outside the shop. We all froze, several sounds of breath being held sounding from inbetween the robes. We waited for the inevitable explosion, but none came.

"We should check it out," Victrola whispered from my right after a few eerily silent minutes.

"We'll all go," Scorpius said. We hesitantly climbed out of the racks, our wands raised infront of each of us, just in case. We silently walked to the front of the store, just out of view of the plate glass windows. Sadie slowly crept forward, her wand aloft, to the window.

"I can't see anyth-"she started before Victrola snuck up behind her and clapped a hand over her mouth, just as a figure passed in front of the window. We all froze with fear as the Death Eater stopped, looking into the store.

In one smooth motion, the Death Eater raised it's wand. Victrola threw herself and Sadie down, just as the window exploded.


	26. Of Their Names and What They're Worth

**AN: Thank you for your feedback! It really helps me keep this going. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**SPOV:**

"Can I choose the place?" Rose asked as we walked hand-in-hand down Main Street. Rose looked beautiful in a cream colored lace dress, her hair all wavy down her back. Sometimes, when she wasn't paying attention, I would just look at her and find myself thinking, _damn, I'm a lucky bastard_. Al said I was whipped. I choose to think of it as just being...no, I was whipped. There's no denying it. But. really, how could that be a bad thing?

"Sure, but don't demand to pay, because it won't be happening," I told her, giving her hand a squeeze as she began to pull me as fast as her heels (which Sadie had clearly forced her into, not that I was complaining. I just knew my girl pretty well by this point) would let her.

As Rose began to slow down, I felt my stomach drop. She had led me to the upper class district of Hogsmeade, one of the few new neighborhoods that had cropped up in the wake of the Second War. It was a place where people like the Weasley's and Potter's ruled; people who's family histories weren't tarnished by Voldemort supporters. The nouveau riche had started to practically colonize Wizarding England with high class villages like Lux Hollow, the one we were currently in. Lux Hollow, Hogsmeade had been started by Lavender Brown-Thomas, Porter Thomas's _mother,_ three years after the War had ended. Hogsmeade was in ruins, and she came in and reorganized it, restoring the quaint, Holiday card half of the village while bringing in new revenue with the Upper Class. Lux Hollow was a small town that Main Street lead directly into. It really one street of high class stores and restaurants and clubs with millionaire estates and homes surrounding it on three sides. I knew for a fact that most Gryffindor and Ravenclaw families had homes here. The only Slytherins to have connections here were Victrola and a third year named Tony Boot. Victrola's family wasn't in anyway connected to the Death Eater regime; her father, while currently working in the Department of International Cooperation, was an ex-Bulgarian Quidditch player, a good one at that. Her mother was French-American, her Grandfather being the old American Ambassador to France and her Grandmother a clothing designer. Neither had been raised in England and were in other countries during the War. I'd always been envious of that fact. She had parents who legitimately cared about her, well, her dad did, anyway. But because of them, Vic, while being a Slytherin, was _welcomed_ here. All she had to do was drop a parents name, especially her dad's and she was fawned over. I was overlooked here until they realized who my father was. Then, they'd remember who my great-Aunt was and I'd be treated as frostily as if I'd said Great-Aunt Bellatrix's name.

"Rose, I can't be here," I whispered, tugging on her hand to try and steer her out of the well-manicured trees bordering Lux Hollow. Rose turned and looked at me in confusion.

"Why not?" She said loudly. I looked around for eavesdroppers before hissing, "Because I'm a Malfoy!"

Rose instantly looked contrite. "You have as much right to be here as I do," she stated, standing her guard and refusing to let me run from the neighborhood with my tail between my legs, like I should. Already, I was being recognized. Although I'd lived my life well-funded, there was a difference between having money and having a name to back the bank accounts up.

"Rose, please," I pleaded, not wanting her to realize now what dating a Malfoy could do to her.

"Nope," she said and began to pull me into a restaurant near one of Vic's grandmother's clothes stores. I would've been safer there, but not in this restaurant. The owner had gone to school with my dad and would kick me out in an instant.

"Quick, do one of those hair color change charms. Maybe I'll be safe," I whined in Rose's ear, trying uneffectively to hide behind her. It might have worked if I wasn't a good foot taller than her.

"Welcome to Patil's. Table for two?" the hostess trilled, not looking up from the stack of menus on the podium.

"Yes, please," Rose said back, elbowing me in the ribs to get me to behave.

We followed the waiter the hostess indicated to a small table in a secluded alcove on the second floor. It had a great view of Lux Hollow's riverfront and the homes located on it. It was private enough for us not to be noticed, which allowed me to breath easilier.

"What can I get you two to drink?" the waiter asked in a dull voice. Rose didn't even consult her menu, instead staring stonily out of the picture window.

"Diablo-menthe," she said in a monotone voice. I sighed, looking down at my menu before choosing the same as Rose, a French mint syrup drink mixed with lemonade.

It didn't escape my notice when the waiter scrutinized me a bit too long before taking his leave.

"Rose, what's wrong," I asked, reaching across the table to take her hand. She snapped back, out of my reach, leaving me frozen in place.

"Rose, what-"

"Don't. Don't act like you don't know, Scorpius," she hissed, pinning me with a glacial stare. I gaped unattractively for a bit before cottoning on. I went from bewildered to pissed.

"You don't know what it's like," I growled, angry that she was condemning me for something I have had to deal with my whole life.

"The Scorpius Malfoy I know wouldn't have cowered and pissed himself like a little girl!" she cried. I felt as if I'd been slapped.

"Cowered? _Cowered?_" I said in a deadly calm voice. Rose's face set into a hard mask, letting me know that she had no intentions of apologizing and backing down, for which I was grateful. I wanted to have a legitimate reason to rage at her now for the bratty bitch she was being now.

"How dare you, for one instant, be angry at me for this. You have never, for one minute, had to sacrifice one Goddamned thing in your perfect little life. Yet you pretend to know what its like to be in my situation?" I seethed, my face contorted with a childhood of accumulated rage bursting to be free.

"Oh boo-hoo," Rose drawled, rolling her eyes. "So you have Death Eaters for family." Rose looked at me with a cold stare, "If no one hears your name, you're unknown. You are only famous on paper, when everyone can see your family tree in their minds and see the evil that once spotted it. Me, on the other hand, sees the amazing Golden Trio, the poor Uncle I lost, the Weasley name, the greatness that comes with being me," she scoffed, not realizing how arrogant she sounded right now. "That's what they see when they hear my name, or see my face."

"Shut up," I hissed. "You act like that's a bad thing, that everyone LOVES YOU!" I bellowed, standing up so fast my chair toppled over.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the waiter had came back in the middle of our fight and brought the manager with him. Everyone in the restaurant was staring, whispering about us.

"What?" I spun in the man, looking down at his ugly fat face in contempt.

"You must leave, now," the manager sneered, waving over two muscular bouncers for support should I get violent. I glanced back at Rose. She was frozen in shock.

"Look, it's fine, we just got into a small argument," I started, my anger at Rose barely suppressed under my new charming, appeasing exterior.

"I'm sorry, Mr. _Malfoy," _The man spat my name in disgust, "But you must leave. You're disrupting the customers." He turned his back on me, making it clear that a lowly ex-Death Eater's son wasn't worth his time.

"Miss Weasley, you of course are welcome to stay, but your friend," he threw me a superior look, "must go."

The manager snapped his fingers and the guards stomped forward, grabbing my arms roughly and pinning them behind my back, like a common delinquent. One guard held my arms like that while the other walked ahead, clearing a path across the crowded second floor dining hall and down to the equally crowded first floor. I tried to stare straight ahead, but the whispers followed me, all of them bashing my parents and myself, letting me know that they had expected nothing less from the son of a Malfoy.

* * *

**AN: I love every review from a new reader that I get! But all my old readers still warm my heart :) lol, enough gooey weirdness. I've decided that since I (finally) submitted my USF application, I'd reward you guys with a chapter and the TITLE [*as of now] of the SEQUEL:**

**...**

**...**

**...**

_Of The Beautiful Violence_

**Yes, its kind of weird and out there, but it will make sense once the high point of the sequel comes. **

**I've also decided that if you review with a question (not too specific) about the ending of Three Words or the sequel, I'll answer it, either in a PM or in the next chapter. Most likely in a PM, so you don't have to wait. **

**So, ask away, lovelies. I solemnly swear to answer. **


	27. Of Rose's Love and Killers

**Disclaimer: I, **_The Night Sings Alone_**, intend no infringement on anyone's copyright. 'Kay?**

**Rose POV:**

_Prick._

_Prick. _

_Stupid prick. _

_Stupid arrogant prick. _

Here I was, walking through Lux Hollow, by myself, searching for my boyfriend.

Great. Really. Fucking. Great.

I screamed in frustration, scaring away a flock of pigeons scavenging outside the nearest bistro for scraps.

"Whoa, Weasley, no need to let hundreds of rats with wings go hungry because you're pissy," a snotty voice I was becoming increasingly well aquainted with drawled from behind me. I turned to see Victrola Slater standing there on the sidewalk, several tissue paper-stuffed bags in hand.

I was feeling so crappy that I didn't even retort. I just turned on my heel and continued down the street towards Main Street.

"Where's your better half?" Slater asked as she caught up to me. Because of the heels, which, although adorably cute, were not exactly ideal for enemy-evasion.

I just kept walking, hoping that Slater would take a hint and leave. She didn't.

"Look, I might not like you, but I love Scorp. And when he angrily rips my man away from me on the last Hogsmeade weekend of the year, in _Lux Hollow_, of all the places, I know something's up. So tell me, what the fuck gives?" Slater stated as she maneuvered herself in my path, prohibiting me from continuing my tempermental strut.

I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Nothing." I said blandly, giving her a pointed look. She just dropped her bags and mimiked my stance. I rolled my eyes and tried to walk past her.

"Oh uh-uh, no way. You aren't leaving until you tell me what you did to piss Scorpius off so extremely that he came from Hogsmeade to the neighborhood to get Al," Slater warned. I spun to face her angrily.

"What I did?" I practically screamed in her face. To her credit, the old Slater would have probably hexed me, but this new one just appraised my tone condescendingly. "I didn't do a damn thing! All I wanted was a nice lunch with my boyfriend at Patil's but he had to go and make an ass of himself," I was breathing heavily at this point. Part of me was expecting some sort of remark from Slater, like "_well, that's just Scorpius,"_ but instead I got a bit of the old Slater.

She was staring at me with a mix of shock, amazement and pure hatred.

"Are you so dense that you really don't know your own boyfriend? Really, Weasley?" I was about to retort by saying I did, in fact, know my boyfriend, but Slater didn't let me.

"Oh, no. No, you don't get to Weasley your way out of this with me," she said acidly. I just looked at her.

"Have you any idea why it would be a bad idea for Scorpius-fucking-MALFOY to come here? You never noticed that he avoided this place like the plague? Really? In the four-odd months you've been together you never once noticed or even bothered to ask why he refused to set foot in this neighborhood?" I looked away from Slater's livid face to the cloudless sky, trying to keep the tears at bay. Because when it was screamed at me by someone I didn't particularly like, it hit me. I understood why the manager had acted the way he did. I understood why Scorpius hated this place. I undertood why I hurt him.

"Oh, God," I whispered thickly. Slater's brows contracted in confusion.

"Are you fucking bipolar or something?" she asked. I just looked down the road to Hogsmeade, wishing Scorpius would appear there and welcome me back like I knew he wouldn't.

"Maybe." I answered. Slater handed me a tissue.

"You should make yourself decent again if your going to go grovel for forgiveness."

I glared weakly at her.

"Do you happen to have any make up," I sighed, staring at my reflection in a store window. The eyeshadow and liner that Sadie and I had meticulously applied was now running down my cheeks, leaving glittering cobalt outlines of my tear tracks.

"Yeah. You look kind of pathetic," Slater said, voicing my thoughts. I rolled my eyes at her reflection.

"Sit," she ordered, pulling me to a small table outside a deserted bistro. She in the chair next to mine, dropping the many shopping bags on the ground beneath our table. She then extracted a clearly jam-packed makeup bag from her purse, setting it down on the table. I pulled it to me, zipping it open and staring into it's contents.

"It's like Pandora's Box," I laughed, glancing up at Slater.

"I like makeup," she shrugged almost apologetically. I started pulling out some of the containers, looking for something familiar. Some of the labels were in French, but alot were from Muggle brands I recognized.

"Muggle makeup?" I asked, astounded. Slater looked affronted.

"I'm not prejudiced, really. Muggles have quality stuff. And I don't really trust potions near my eyes sometimes, no matter how safe they may be."

""Not prejudiced'?" I echoed her words. "Slater, you called my best friend a Mudblood in third year," I cried.

"And she broke my nose," Slater shrugged. I kept staring. Slater rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Look, haven't you ever done something because all your friends were doing it? Missy said that word all the time, and even though I knew what it meant and its connotations. I wasn't thinking. And Al screamed at me for an hour straight after that and didn't talk to me for a week," Slater said, looking down at her hands in her lap when she finished.

I didn't respond, instead choosing to start trying to fix my makeup. I unscrewed the top of one of the little pots of eyeshadow.

"Gold?" I asked, laughing. Slater smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Gryffindor doesn't own the color, you know," she teased. I screwed the lid back on and searched for something in dark blue, the color I was wearing before.

I found some, and just as I was about to load up the brush with some of the powder, Slater stopped me.

"Let me," she said, reaching for the brush. I must have looked horrified because she paused and said, "I promise not to make you look like a clown."

I nodded, handing over the brush and eyeshadow. I closed my eyes and let Slater begin applying the eyeshadow. I had my reservations about letting this girl, one who I had despised for a few years now, put makeup on my face. Not only that, but let her hold the brush that (with my morbid imagination) could be considered a weapon, and be so near my eyes_. Then again, you and Scorpius hated each other up until this year_, I thought.

_But look at us now. I thought...I thought he loved..._

_"_Stop," I gasped, pushing Slater's hand away. I felt like I couldn't breathe. My body was numb.

"What's wrong?"

"Where would he be?" I choked out. Slater looked at me before rolling her eyes and stowing away the shadow brush.

"The Lane," she answered. I stood abruptly and started walking down the street.

"Weasley! What-WEASLEY!" I heard Slater shouting after me, but I didn't look back. A thought had hit me like a Bludger, and I needed to find Scorpius, now.

I was walking determinedly, but it felt too sluggish and slow for the need I had to find Scorpius. I paused, sliding off the heels before tearing down Main Street. The Lane was what the students and Hogsmeade townies called a long, winding stretch of forest trail, in an area between the Village and the Forbidden Forest. It was beautiful no matter the season, and was the ideal place to just think.

Thankfully, since it was springtime, the Lane was grassy and soft, so I didn't run the risk of stepping on crunchy fall leaves, or slushy snow with bare feet.

"Scorpius!" I called, running down the trail, by this point almost completely out of breath.

"Rose." I stopped and spun around, breathing heavily. He was standing there, looking at me with sad and distant eyes.

"Scorpius," I gasped, starting towards him. He just stared as he took several casual steps back until he was leisurely leaning against a weeping willow.

"What?" He asked, his hands in his jacket pockets. He looked tired, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. The hood of his jacket was up, casting a shadow melodramatically across half of his face. Fitting, I thought, for the melodrama I was about to deliver.

"I'm a bitch."

That got his attention.

"I'm arrogant at times. I can be ignorant to those around me. I am a hypocrite when it comes to mine and my family's fame and how I abuse it. And I'm sorry. But you, you are just like me. That's why we work. You know that. So please..." I squeezed my eyes shut. I would _not _cry. "Please don't break us off. We're good for each other. Hell, we're amazing." I opened my eyes.

Scorpius was staring straight ahead, a sarcastic smirk on his lips.

"Tell me you love me," he said listlessly.

"What?" I blurted. He laughed bitterly before turning his head slowly to look at me.

"Tell. Me. You. Love. Me." he snapped, enunciating each syllable.

"I-I...You know I do." I responded, crossing my arms self consciously. Scorpius huffed angrily, jerking up from his position against the tree and fully turning to face me.

"C'mon, Rose! It's only three FUCKING WORDS!" he shouted, suddenly irate.

I stared stonily back. Scorpius closed the distance between us until he loomed over me.

"You know I fucking love you. I was the first to say it. Three words, eight letters. Say it, I'm your's." he whispered harshly.

"I love you," I hissed angrily, meaning it all the same. A slow, cocky smile spread across his face.

"There's my girl," he whispered. I pushed him away.

"I'm not 'your girl'," I threw back at him, attempting to stomp away. He caught me around the waist.

"Yes, you are," he growled. I spun, still in his arms.

"Possessive jerk," I sneered, staring up at him. I guess, in that moment, something just snapped in both of us. Because suddenly, we were kissing. Rather roughly, I might add. Before I knew it, I was up against the tree, my legs wrapped around his waist. But one thing led to another, and soon, before I could process what was happening, I was losing my virginity.

In the woods.

Against a tree.

_Classy._

Do I regret who it was with?

No. Not at all.

Do I regret where?

Yes and no. Later on in my life, I'd find the humor in it.

But the backlash, well, that would never go away.

Lots of people have sex for the first time and get lost in the moment.

But those people are not the daughter of two-thirds of the Golden Trio.

After it was over, a happy daze settled over me. Scorpius and I walked out of the Lane, hand in hand. We were both really kind of sappily giggly about it.

"I really do love you. I always have." Scorpius whispered in my ear before quickly kissing my temple.

"I love you too." I said back, smiling up at him.

We were headed back up to the school, Scorpius' arm around my shoulder and my arm around his waist, when we spotted Albus, Slater, Sadie and Freddie standing outside of the Three Broomsticks.

"Hey, what's up?" Scorpius asked. No sooner had the words left his mouth when Albus' face went slack.

"What the hell?" he gasped, staring over my shoulder. I turned and froze at the sight of Uncle Harry, my dad, and six other Aurors, striding up Main Street.

"Dad?" Albus and I both said at the same time. Neither of our father's looked, but instead strode menacingly into the Three Broomsticks, followed by their men. The six of us just stared until a few minutes later three flanking Aurors came out first, followed by Uncle Harry and my dad with Professor Xavier handcuffed between them, followed by the other three Aurors. Students streamed out of the pub, watching as the group marched up to the school.

"Rose!" Professor Longbottom called, walking purposefully up to us, a serious look on his face. "Rose, I need you to come with me up to the school. Now."

"What? Why?" I asked. Neville looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I shouldn't say-" he began, his eyes darting to each of my friends (and Slater) in turn.

"You can say it, they'll find out anyway," I said, pleading.

"Rose, Professor Xavier...She...She was arrested..." he paused, searching for the words. "She was the one who...tried to kill you at the game."

* * *

**AN: Well...I was supposed to finish applying to UNF, UWF, and FGCU...But I had myself a nice Nip/Tuck marathon, watched the latest episode of Misfits, and wrote this instead...**

**You should review for my procrastination. Don't let it be in vain...**


	28. Of Dahlia Xavier and Julia Bejko

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Rose:**

The walk up to the Castle was the worst ten minutes of my life. Professor Longbottom and I didn't speak a word the entire trek through the village. I understood he was letting me mull over the revelation in my own way, which I was thankful for. When we reached the gates to the grounds, we were met by James and Teddy.

"Thank's, Neville," James said somberly, shaking the older man's hand.

"Rose, I'm so very sorry," Professor Longbottom sighed as he headed back down to the village. I turned, staring up at Teddy and James.

"What now?" I asked, feeling oddly distant from the situation.

"Well," Teddy said slowly, ruffling his cobalt hair.

"Well, now, we're off to Headmistress McGonagall's office so that Dad and Uncle Ron can explain everything to you," James said, looking at me cheerfully. Teddy's hand slowly fell from his hair as he turned to look at James in astonishment.

"What?" James asked. Teddy just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I think he's confused as to why you're so nonchalant about this," I said helpfully. James nodded sagely. Teddy stared at me for a second, then at James, before throwing his hands up.

"You two are weird," he scoffed before starting through the gates and up to the school. James and I glanced at each other and laughed.

"It's a Weasley thing," James called up to Teddy, who in turn threw James a rude hand gesture. James just shook his head. He and I were keeping pace with each other as I stumbled up the rocky incline to the school.

"So...You and Scorpius," James began. I rolled my eyes.

"It's been four months, James," I said. He just ruffled my hair like he I hated.

"Yes, but I'm your pseudo-big brother, dearest Posie. And as such, I deserve to embarrassingly question you about your love life with my littlest brother's best friend."

When I remained silent, James pressed on. "Is he treating you right?" James questioned with the air of an older brother trying really hard not to sound interested.

"What is this? The Victorian Era? Of course he treats me right," I scoffed. "I'm his bitch and he's my baby daddy."

James and Teddy laughed.

"As long as those gender roles are assigned," James said with mock-seriousness. "And as long as you name the kid after me."

"What if it's a girl?" I asked. James contemplated for a moment.

"Jamie is a unisex name," he replied, looking pleased with himself.

"I'm not naming any kid of mine Jamie," I said. James looked offended.

"Why not? I'm awesome!" he cried, puffing out his chest superiorly. I rolled my eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with the name 'James', but Jamie's too nick-namey for my taste."

"Just don't name the kid after any Headmasters. We wouldn't want another _Albus Severus_ in the family." James stuck his tongue out in fake disgust.

"Really? I was considering going with Phineas Nigellus Severus Armando Minerva Albus Weasley-Malfoy as it's name, no matter the sex," I answered seriously. James burst into a fit of laughter, clutching his sides.

"That kid'll have a complex for sure, with those names alone, not to mention being half Weasley, half Malfoy," Teddy smirked.

We joked a bit more before falling into a comfortable silence. We walked through the unusually quiet halls to the Headmistress' office.

"I'm scared again," I blurted, standing stock still at the end of the hall to McGonagall's office. James and Teddy both turned to look at me, with pitying expressions.

"What are they going to tell me?" I asked, widening my eyes to the puppy dog stare that usually reduced them both into gibbering dorks.

"The reason for the attack," Teddy said. I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. I stopped trying to coax him into telling and stared intently at James.

"James? Please? I'm scared and I want to know what to expect." I said softly. Technically, that was true, but I knew if I made him think I was about to, like, pass out or cry, he'd tell me. I'd used this tactic on my cousin quite a few times. Mostly just to discover family secrets and gossip I knew he'd eavesdropped on.

"Well," James began. Teddy's head instantly snapped to his direction, with a look on his face that plainly said that James'd better not say anything. I kept staring at James, adding some fake tears for effect.

"The Albanian Revolution!" he blurted. Teddy smacked him hard upside the head.

"Shit! OW!" he glared at Teddy briefly before withering under his superiors intense gaze.

"What's that?" I asked but Teddy glared at me too.

"Nothing. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kingsley will explain," Teddy marched angrily down the corridor, James following somberly.

"Kingsley's here?" I asked. As much as I liked Kingsley, if he was here, it could only mean bad things.

"_Allen_" Teddy intoned, giving the password to the Headmistress' office. Every month the password changed to another name from the Wall, better known as the Independence Memorial. During the Second War, in the Battle of Hogwarts, one wall had been demolished beyond magical repair. They rebuilt it Muggle-style, and because of the man power it took and how ready everyone was to help rebuild it, they decided to engrave every person's name who had died in both wars on the bricks. There were around two hundred names on the wall. It might just be the wall that lines the entrance to the Great Hall, but there was a symbolic beauty to it. The loved ones had carved the names themselves or if it was a person with out any living family or a Muggle, someone volunteered to do it.

We stepped on to the revolving staircase and as we travelled up, it suddenly hit me: Xavier was in that room. I'd have to face her. I wasn't sure I was ready.

_Deepbreaths. Deepbreaths. Deepbreaths. BREATHE, DAMNIT! _

"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said, gazing at me somberly. I looked at her briefly before sitting down in the open seat between my dad and Uncle. Teddy and James moved to stand behind either Auror. I couldn't help myself; I had to look at her.

She was staring up at Professor Snape's portrait, which was directly behind the Headmistress. He wasn't looking at her; in fact, he wasn't in his picture. I got the feeling that she wasn't really looking at it, that she was instead staring out of her pariphial vision at the people around her. She looked just like she did in class. There wasn't a single hair out of place, her usual elegant attire was still perfect, her make-up nary a smear. If it wasn't for the handcuffs attaching her wrists to either armrest, or the six intimidating Aurors that stood stock-still around the room, I'd have thought this was some sort of parent/teacher conference.

It was dead quiet in the room. No one moved or made a sound. I was still blazingly staring at Xavier when a short, bespectacled guy with blonde hair burst out of the fireplace and rushed over to Uncle Harry.

The guy leaned down and whispered something in his ear. Uncle Harry nodded. The guy left, nodding curtly to Dad and McGonagall before stepping back into the Floo and vanishing with a -_woosh_- of green flames.

"So," Uncle Harry began, standing up and walking slowly to lean on the desk in front of Xavier. He picked up a violet file with the Ministry of Magic crest on the front from the desk and opened it.

"Dahlia Alessandra Xavier, born in Bristol to Alexander and Scarlett Xavier, on December 21, 1979. Father died in 1990, when you and your _mother,_" he paused, glaring up at her with at sarcastic sneer, "Moved to London. She got remarried to a, Nathan Young the year before you began attending Beaubatons Academy. Mrs. Xavier-Young died along with her second husband in a terrible fire during your sixth year in France. Is this correct so far?" he asked with what seemed like mock-sincerity. Xavier just smiled glibly in response.

"Now, this is where your record gets...well, sketchy. Dahlia Xavier, or you, if we're continuing to play along, had a fiancée, at one point. His name was Simon Bellamy. But, Mr. Bellamy, whom we found at St. Mungo's, was the victim of a hastily applied and badly performed Memory Charm. Now, this Memory Charm, while effectively destroying his short term memory, didn't completely alter his long term memory. When we asked about _Professor_ Dahlia Xavier, he had no knowledge of her. But when asked about Dahlia Xavier, his fiancée, we began to get some, well, _inconsistent_ answers. You see, Mr. Bellamy remembers the real Dahlia Xavier. But, you aren't her, are you? Because the real Dahlia Xavier is dead."

I was sure I wasn't breathing and that my heart's pounding was audible to the rest of the room. I continued to stare at...her. I couldn't look away, even if I wanted to. Her face betrayed no emotion, unlike mine which I was sure was full of shock, disbelief, confusion.

"So. Who are you then? Because you sure don't look like a woman who died in a dueling match _eleven years ago." _Uncle Harry was staring down at her with a fierce, determined look. She stared up at him with a cold, rather demonic smile.

"Are you going to talk?" He asked, his arms crossed.

When she didn't move, Uncle Harry motioned for one of the Aurors to come forward. The man strode over to her, hastily jerking back her sleeve as another held her shoulders. The first Auror extracted a hypodermic needle from a case in his coat pocket, and uncapped it. Tapping the air bubbles out, he prepped it briefly before injecting the clear serum inside into the fake ex-professor's vein. It was a rather unseen process in the magical world, but, as my mom had once said to me when I'd first overheard my uncle and dad talking about this very practice, sometimes drastic measures had to be taken. And if using what was considered a "Muggle Method" was needed, well. At this moment, I wasn't complaining.

"Now, let's just let the Veritaserum work it's way through your blood system for a second."

It happened rather quickly. One second, fake-Xavier was smiling demonically. Then, the smile slid off her face. Her eyes became dazed and unfocused briefly before slowly looking up at Uncle Harry. She was now angry, judging by her flared nostrils and clenched jaw, but there was nothing she could do.

"Are you Dahlia Xavier?" he asked.

"No," she whispered harshly.

"What is your real name?"

"Julia Bejko."

"Where were you born?"

Xavi-_Bejko, _I guess, rolled her head and closed her eyes. She let out a breath before facing Uncle Harry again and opening her eyes.

"Tirana, Albania."

Uncle Harry smiled coldly.

"Explain how you came by the name of 'Dahlia Xavier'"

Bejko smiled.

"My father was the Albanian Ambassador to France. We moved to Paris when I was seven. I went to Beaubatons and Dahlia was my roommate. We were friends. Practically sisters. She and I even looked alike." Bejko paused, taking a shuddering breath before continuing.

"Eight years ago I was dispatched to Great Britain. I needed a new name, and Dahlia's death provided one."

"You said you were "dispatched" here. What do you mean?"

"I mean that my superior sent me."

"And who is your superior?"

"Anya Koroleva."

Dad let out a gasp right as the color drained from Uncle Harry's stoic and calm face.

"You serve under Anya Koroleva? As in Prime Minister Anya Koroleva?" Uncle Harry was staring intently at Bejko, as if he was desperately praying for it to be untrue.

"The one and only."

I had no idea what any of this meant, or why my dad and uncle, as well as McGonagall and the few Aurors I could see we all clearly anxious and scared.

"Explain. Everything. From when the Revolution began." Clearly, he'd stopped asking the mandatory questions and went straight to the pressing matter at hand.

Bejko was trying not to speak, but the potion forced her to.

"After the fall of Lord Voldemort, we watched as this Ministry was revitalized. We saw how you worked tirelessly to rebuild what he'd destroyed. We waited for Great Britain, America, France, someone, some other affected country to help. But none did. Voldemort only occupied your country for three years. He'd terrorized Albania since I was three years old. My mother was a witch, a half-blood. She knew the havoc he had caused here in the years before you, the Great Harry Potter had ended him the first told my father and me all about it. Even though he was a Muggle, he was open to magic, and what I could do. When Voldemort was stopped the first time, how war torn was this place? How many foreign ministries had helped you all out then? I know Albania did. But when we needed you most, you ignored us. But Prime Minister Koroleva didn't. She built has built us back up again, even before she was elected as the Muggle Prime Minister. Even though the Muggle and Magical worlds are separate in our country, like all others, the worlds intersect more than most think. She's a half-blood as well. She understood that both worlds need to be fixed when something catastrophic happens in one."

Bejko was breathing heavily, her face alight with the emotion her little speech had given her.

"What does any of that have to do with our children?" Uncle Harry asked. I didn't miss the fact that he had been including his own children in that statement.

"It was my idea. After I'd infiltrated this school, I'd noticed several interesting names on my class roster. Molly, Lucy, Dominique, Louis, Roxanne, Freddie, Rose, Hugo. _All. Those. Weasleys._ Not to mention Albus and Lily Potter. Porter Thomas, Decklin Finnegan, Lorcan and Lysander Scamander, Alice Longbottom, Gemma Davies, Nathaniel Zabini, Claire Finch-Fletchley, the children of survivors. As well as the children of allies, like Viktor Krum's daughter, Victrola Slater. And the Death Eater's kids, like Missy Goyle and Scorpius Malfoy. There are many more on our hitlist, but those were my targets."

I felt sick to my stomach. I knew most of those kids. I grew up with a few. I was related to some. Claire? Alice? They were first years, for Merlin's sake! These people were going after eleven year olds and other kids, some my age.

"All of those kids are fine. Only Rose was hurt, but she's fine now. Clearly you aren't that good a hit man." I knew Uncle Harry was just baiting her, but I was still a bit offended.

Bejko laughed. "She was just an opportune moment. I'd recently discovered the spell and saw the perfect time to use it. I mean, you are, after all Miss Weasley, the child of two-thirds of the Golden Trio."

I fought to keep the rage off my face. My father wasn't as successful.

"You BITCH!" Dad lunged from his seat. James and Teddy darted forward just in time and were able to restrain him, but he was still spewing insults at Bejko while she just laughed.

"Get her out of here, now!" Uncle Harry bellowed. Four Aurors came forward and grasped her by the forearms, steering her to the fireplace.

"I'll see you again before long, Miss Weasley. Don't worry!" Bejko called to me before she was gone in a hiss of emerald fire.

* * *

"So it was Professor Xavier who did it?"

Albus, Scorpius, Sadie, Freddie, Victrola, and I were all seated in a circle under the beech tree. I looked at Victrola, the one who'd asked and nodded.

"Her name is really Julia Bejko. She's an "Albanian National" according to my dad. She was born in Albania, but has French citizenship, I guess."

I leaned back against Scorpius, feeling safer than I had all day as his arms wrapped around me.

"The poor French," Freddie intoned sadly. Sadie lightly smacked his forearm for joking around, but I welcomed the little familiar comfort. Looking up at Freddie, I realized just how close it had come to _him_ being the one with the scar. Or Albus. Scorpius. We were all in the air that day. But she had chosen me to target, based on my parents and a good line of fire. And Slat-_Victrola. _Just because her dad was friends with my mom and worked in the Department of International Relations representing Bulgaria. He hadn't even really been a part of the war in England, but she was still a target.

"Where's Daphne?" I asked. Sadie and Albus exchanged a look and Victrola started shredding grass.

"Well, with her...uhm...Boyfriend." Sadie didn't meet my eye.

"Who?" I asked. My first thought was Nate Zabini because I knew they were close.

"...Masen."

I was confused to say the least.

"Masen...As in Masen Clark, our once best friend? The very same Masen and Daphne who can't be left alone with each other for fear of a duel?"

"Yep." Sadie said, popping the 'p'.

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

And once I started, I couldn't stop.

Sadie started laughing, too, and that just made me laugh harder. It was one of those moments when you don't exactly know why you're laughing, but you just can't seem to stop. Freddie and Albus looked like they wanted to laugh _at _us more than with us, and Victrola just looked at Scorpius with an expression that clearly read "fucking freaks". I didn't care, though. I guess I was just getting used to the way she acted. And the fact that I was actually considering myself to be getting used to the way my once enemy acted made me laugh some more.

When we finally stopped, I was still laying against Scorpius; my ribs hurt, my head hurt, and I could tell that all of the days events would catch up with me later. But for now, I was content.

"So. What happens next?" Albus said.

"What do you mean?" Freddie asked.

"I mean, school's over in a week, you graduate, we have no DADA teacher, and there are angry Albanian's trying to kill all of us except Sadie. So, what now?" he said.

"I say we enjoy summer break by getting shitfaced at least a mandatory two nights a week." Victrola replied. After a brief pause, Sadie spoke up.

"That would imply that you are including Rose, Freddie, and me in those plans."

Victrola glanced at her. "Like Al said, there is a severely pissed off group of people after us. I say we live it up while we can. And if being...friends with you all is what it takes, so be it."

Sadie just looked at her for a bit. "Eloquently put, Slater."

"I am nothing if not constantly eloquent, Anveray."

Sadie held out her hand.

"I promise not to call you a spineless, hateful, raging, diseased, slutty, nasty, scum-sucking, road-whorey bitch. Unless you deserve it." Victrola appraised her before quickly shaking her hand.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Scorpius snorted.

"Freaks."

* * *

_**IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ!**_

**Hey, guess what!**

**THAT WAS THE LAST CHAPTER!**

**WOOT!**

**So, let me just start by saying I hadn't planned on ending it now. But, it just felt right, you know? Now, my action packed sequel can begin. **

**ANOTHER IMPORTANT MEMO:**

**I have absolutely nothing against Albanians or the country, at all. I just got the idea while watching Deathly Hallows Part 1, and Albania just made the most sense. My idea for the sequel goes like this:**

**In Deathly Hallows, you can clearly see men in curious uniforms. And to me, my friends, and some very zealous online forum people (I researched this shit; it's legit) those uniforms looked suspiciously German Gestapo/S.S./Nazi like. Note the red armbands. Then, it made me see how this serious is totally an allegory for World War Two. I will helpfully explain this to any reviewer/messager. But, just know, it was totally confirmed by Ms. Rowling herself.**

**So then, I thought, "holy shit, that would make an awesome story."**

**And then, I thought "holy shit, I already have a story I need to finish."**

**So, I combined them. **

**I want to say that, I in NO WAY CONDONE WHAT WENT ON DURING THE HOLOCAUST. It was sick and unnecessary. My sequel will be like Germany pre-WWII and post-WWI; I chose Albania because of the fact that it's where Voldemort hid from the time baby Harry destroyed him until he went back to England in GOF. Couldn't he have done some serious shit there? Bodyless or not, Voldie is a twisted dude. **

**To explain myself further, in my story, Albania is a bit like pre-WWII Germany. They just got their country destroyed and no one will help them. Here comes someone who is doing good to the country and is boosting it back up. They're going to listen and unconsciously follow that person to an extent. After WWI, the Allies did nothing to help Germany. Hitler came in and brought it up to a practically invincible state. After WWII was over, people were scared of something like that happening again. It wasn't until the revised Geneva Convention in 1949 were laws put in place to help war torn countries to prevent another Third Reich. That's why we (America) are still in Iraq after all these years; the convention prevents us from leaving a country open and defenseless. **

**That's my explanation. Feel free to comment or try and call bullshit on me if you want. I'll gladly answer your questions. Other than that, leave some love in the form of a review. **


	29. Sequel News

**THE SEQUEL IS UP! **

**Go Check it out, my lovelies!**

_**Of Beauty in Violence **(yes, I slightly changed it) **IS UP!**_

_**-**TheNightSingsAlone_


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